Gardalia
by RosyRain
Summary: Ummm... I don't know but i think the summary's inside. I'm not sure if that's it but, oh well! Enjoy!
1. Chapter 1

_Aldresh and Hythena, separate, but one all the same._

_Long ago, Hythena and Aldresh existed in one world, Gardalia. Four kingdoms ruled in unity and were given the task to protect the crystal. Prosperity was everywhere. The fields were fertile, and the waters were bountiful. It was a perfect world filled with peace. However, a great tragedy ensued. Aldresh, one of the main continents, attempted to take over Hythena's, the other continent where the crystal was kept, role. Aldresh went as far as waging a war._

_Cosmos, the Goddess of Harmony, was displeased. In order to stop the chaos, she separated Aldresh from Hythena, the former being stripped from its gift of magic as punishment. Aldresh developed into a world where machines were at hand, while Hythena continued to live their simple village lives._

_One, but separate._

_Four kingdoms existed in Hythena. Solea, Sylvaria, Reignhalt and Rezalim, the four guardian kingdoms of Hythena. Guardians of the most sacred crystal. Each swore an oath to protect the Aldresh and Hythena's life force by any means necessary._

_

* * *

_

"Xylem, you're in the clear," a young boy in a black outfit quietly said, motioning for someone in the shadows. A figure resembling a young man emerged from the trees and quietly crouched down beside the boy. He had long burgundy hair that reached his shoulders and his bangs covering his forehead. He had dark purple eyes that seemed to see past everything. He wore a loose black robe and a black handkerchief covering the mouth. The boy looked at him up and down and frowned. "You should really change back your Highness," he whispered.

The man laughed. "Please, I'll change when I get back to my chambers Daniel. I cannot afford any of the royal guards to see me in this," he said, gesturing at his body.

"Yes, a princess shouldn't be allowed to dress like that." The boy peered through the bushes. "Hurry up, the next ones almost here." Daniel pushed Xylem out of the bushes and tossed a grappling hook towards the person.

Xylem caught it with ease and threw it up, securing it to the window's ledge. With one final tug to make sure it was secure, Xylem scaled the wall and darted right into the room. With a wave of a hand, Daniel sighed in relief, knowing the noble was safe. He turned around, only to be hit by something on the head. He looked down and saw a rock with some paper tied to it. He read it and rolled his eyes. _"That was for earlier. How dare you mock my codename back at the village? I will make sure to have my father capture you right away and serve your head on a silver platter… Just kiddin'! Thanks for the trip! ~Princess Xylene P.S. See ya tomorrow! Have my dear chocobo ready~!" _"Must you always mention your being a pricess?"

A maid servant hurriedly rushed towards the young princess' chamber, fearing the worst. If anything were to happen to her, her head would be the price. "Milady, are you alright? I heard a faint crashing sound from your room," she said, her bowing down as she entered the grand room. It had beige walls with faint impressions of flowers all over. One wall was paneled with windows that were as high as the ceiling with purple velvet curtains draping over them. A four-post bed with lavender sheets stood in the middle while a door right beside it led to the princess' bath. Another door right beside the bathroom was the young one's walk-in closet, filled with the most beautiful of dresses that any girl would dream to have. To one side was a huge bookcase with a study table right beside it while the highness' vanity was in the corner opposite to it. The servant looked around and sighed in relief as she saw the princess walk out of her closet, in her sleeping gown. "You gave me quite a fright there milady."

The princess smiled at her demurely as she picked up a brush and ran it through her long burgundy locks. "There's nothing to worry about Amelia. I can handle myself well," she said softly as she looked at the moon through her window.

Amelia chuckled nervously. "Well, your father thinks otherwise my dear," she said as she came over to the girl and took the brush for her. "Here, let me help you your Highness." She then started to comb her hair while humming a soft melody. "I must say, your father has fine taste for women's clothing for a man like him," she commented. The princess looked down and scanned what she was wearing. A light blue silk sleeping gown that reached just above her knees, lace adorning the hem and the straps.

"Well, his daughter must be perfect," she mumbled. "Amelia, why can't I just go out and have a normal life?"

"Now how many times have you asked me that question? You should be thankful I haven't told your father about your recent trips," she said, her fingers weaving through the others hair, carefully undoing any unwanted ties.

"I guess so," she sighed. She stayed quiet for a moment, thinking. "Amelia, tell me why again is there a ball again tomorrow?" she asked, bored. She hated the ball. Lots of nobles and rich men, all talking about the future of the kingdom and… her future husband. The thought made her shudder, alarming the maid.

"Princess Xylene, you know quite well that this is important for the kingdom," she lectured.

"But… I don't want any of this," she complained, holding back her volume. Balls were held so that her father could take care of the kingdom's affairs with neighboring kingdoms. She had overheard that she needed to be married in order to rule her kingdom. Marriage. Another shiver went down her spine. She wished she was an ordinary village girl who could work all day then do whatever during the nights. She had seen the warriors of her people, and she adored their work. To be skilled in combat and be of aid. She wanted to be like the great knights of her people. Of course, that was what Daniel was for. He occasionally took her to mages and knights in order to be trained. Though, there was on catch: men were the only ones that were allowed to fight. Women were only allowed to be mages, even though the men could choose between a mage and a knight. In order to learn, she had to disguise herself as a man, in the name of Xylem.

"I know sweetie, I know…" Amelia comforted. She walked in front of the princess and took hold of her face, planting a soft kiss on her forehead. "Just, hold on alright. It's going to be alright." She stepped back and bowed down. "I hope you have a good night's sleep your Majesty." She backed away slowly, a soft smile on her face and closed the door behind her. Xylene was left inside the room, alone, like always.

She quietly made her way to her bed and lied down on it, pulling the blanket closer to her. "Stupid rules…" she mumbled before she succumbed to the haven that sleep provided.

* * *

"Sir Lugh, there have been more reports that Solea's princess has been wandering about amongst the commoners," the servant said, kneeling down, head low.

The man on the throne waved him off. "It seems as though the princess still refuses my offer," he murmured to himself as the servant went away. He stood up, his cape following behind him. Blond hair tied into a neat ponytail and azure eyes was that he had. He wore a regal outfit, fit for a king, for he was one. The king of Sylveria and general of its legendary army, he was considered as one of the most powerful men in the continent… and one of Princess Xylene's suitors. For many years he had asked her hand in marriage, but the young lady refused every single time. He gritted his teeth. He wanted her so badly. He had given her the most expensive gifts, the most beautiful dresses but the maiden still reused him. "One way or another, your kingdom will be mine," he murmured, a dark look in his face.

* * *

"Princess Xylene, your father requests your presence," a maid servant called as she stood behind the door.

"Tell him that I'll be down in a few," she replied. Xylene stood in front of the full length mirror and gazed at herself. She wore a simple mint green dress that reached down to the floor. It was off shouldered and the sleeves were made of soft transparent cloth of the same color which gracefully followed her movements. The princess struggled to put her hair in a neat bun but gave up and ended in a half ponytail with the ends slightly curled. She secured the ponytail with a simple green clip and turned to the door. She slowly made her way through the castle's grand marble halls, decorated with paintings and portraits and vases of flowers. On wall was filled with huge windows, giving a clear view of the village. She frowned upon seeing a familiar carriage. She continued her way down to the throne room, where her father was usually at.

"Ah, my dear daughter, it's a pleasure to grace us with your presence," the king greeted as he caught sight of his beloved child. He was an aged man with the wisdom of the years. Though old, he still had the strength to guide his people and handle its affairs, be it during war or peace. "I assume you still remember Sir Lugh of Sylveria, my dear."

"Of course," she answered politely, walking to her father's side. "And what might be the reason for your visit Sir Lugh? I'm sure that as a king, you must have a busy schedule."

Lugh smiled and nodded. "Well, Princess, I'm here to ask for your hand in marriage. Please, will you be my wife?" he asked solemnly, kneeling on one knee.

"_Here we go again…" _she thought. She politely shook her head, feigning a sad face. "I'm sorry, but yet again, I must decline your offer."

"But Xylene…" her father protested.

"I'm sorry father, but I cannot accept him as my husband. I'm sorry but I must leave. I'll be out in the gardens if you need me," she said quietly. She bowed down to them and left the two men to talk. She could hear her father's apologies, making her sick to her stomach. She nodded towards the maids that were bowing in front of her as she passed. She made her way towards her favorite spot in the garden, the bench beside the pond under the willow tree. She sat down and closed her eyes, hoping to escape the world she lived in. She smiled as she heard the faint steps of chocobo coming nearer. She opened one eye lazily and glance to the side, her smile widening. She elegantly stood up and dusted off her dress before walking towards Daniel's direction. "Good morning Daniel," she greeted politely.

"Good morning your Highness," he greeted back, muffling a laugh as the princess gave him a frown. "Shall we go?" The girl nodded and got onto the chocobo, the boy aiding her. He handed her a dark robe and she immediately put it on. "Where to Xylem?" he said, raising an eyebrow.

"To the stable," she replied. "I need to change first." The stable boy nodded and led them to the nearby stable where all the royal family's chocobos were kept. Xylene hopped off of the bird and ran inside, locking the door. She quickly got out of her green dress and put on a dark blue vest over a white long-sleeved blouse that reached mid-thigh. She wore black tights and knee high boots. She expertly tied up her hair, making it appear much shorter. Under her blouse was a tightly wrapped piece of cloth, an attempt to hide any sign of her femininity. She walked out of the stable and nodded. "Good enough?" she asked.

The boy scanned her up and down and nodded. "It'll do. Now, all we have to do is get you into the shooting range," he said. "I told the trainer there about you, and he says he'll check how good you are."

"Does he know about me being Xylene?" she asked warily.

Daniel nodded. "He knows everything. He can be trusted. I've been friends with him for a long time now. His name's Armand. I'll drop you off there, but I'll come back as soon as I finish things up." He got on the chocobo and offered her a hand. "Come on!" The princess smiled and happily took his hand, hopping onto the bird herself. They quickly weaved their way through the village streets and were soon in front of the archery range. "I'll leave you here. I'll be back as soon as I can." Xylene nodded and entered the range.

Inside, there was barely anybody. Only one man stood inside and he was shooting a few arrows towards a target. "Are you Armand?" she asked, trying to adjust her voice. The man turned and she got a better view of him. He had light brown hair worn in soft natural spikes and dark eyes. He had slightly tanned skin and a strong jaw. Xylene felt her breath hitch. "Well are you?" she said, narrowing her eyes.

The man laughed. "No need to be sour little lad," he sighed. "No, I'm not Armand. I'm… Demetri. I just come here to spend some time. Who're you?"

"I'm Xylem," she replied quickly. She glanced to the side and saw a set of bows and arrows and immediately took hold of them. She immediately took her position, eyeing the target that was about fifty feet away. She was no stranger to bows, but she did admit that she needed to work on her skills.

The man frowned as he saw her stance. "Here, let me help you…" He approached her and held both of her arms, making her stiffen. "Straighten your arm and relax your grip. It's gonna break if you hold it like that," he joked as he fixed her stance. Xylene couldn't help but blush at the closeness.

"Ahm… Thanks," she muttered under her breath. She aimed for the target and expertly shot it, hitting it in the bull's-eye. She smiled and sighed in relief. "I still got it," she chuckled to herself. She turned to Demetri and put her hand out. "Pleasure to meet you Demetri. I hope that we may see each other again," she politely said in the manliest voice she could muster.

The man smiled and shook her hand. "I hope we meet again soon Xylem."

The two were just smiling at each other for a while before the frantic footsteps were heard. A wheezing boy stumbled into the range and put his arms on his knees. "I'm sorry to disturb you your Highness, but something has happened to your father…" Daniel panted. He did not realize that the person with the princess was not his friend, but a stranger. Xylene made desperate subtle efforts to stop him from talking, but he failed to notice any of them. "Your father… He was murdered. Nobody saw anything, but he was stabbed right through the heart according to the servants."

Xylene widened her eyes in shock. She couldn't believe it. She wouldn't believe it. She clenched her fists, lowering her head. "Lies…" she whispered, "Don't joke like that Daniel. Y'know I hate those kinds of jokes," she chuckled nervously, trying to hide her fear.

The boy shook his head, finally looking up. "I'm afraid it's true Prin…" He caught sight of the man beside her and mentally hit himself. "We should go home," he said, guiding the princess out.

Demetri was about to run after them, but they were already on the chocobo, heading towards the castle.

Xylene changed back quickly in the stable, shaking all the while. She rushed back into the palace and saw the servants, their heads low, expressions are of great grief. "I want to see him," she ordered, her voice unusually calm and collected. "Where is he?" The maids look amongst themselves, none of them answering her. "I said, I want to see him!" she demanded once again.

"I'm afraid it's too horrible for you, dear Xylene," a man smoothly said. She turned around and saw Lugh walking towards her, a sad expression on his face. "My dear, your father is in a state which you are not suitable to see. Please understand…"

"W-Who did this?" she said, voice trembling, tears slowly going down her cheeks.

He shook his head. "We don't know as of yet, but your father did leave something." He produced an envelope from his robes and handed it over to the princess.

Xylene carefully opened the sealed envelope and read its contents. What she read made her feel full of confusion, desperation and rage. She crumpled the letter in her hands, fists now shaking in anger than of fear. "What is the meaning of this?" she screamed.

The man smirked. "It's exactly what it means. Your father though of you as unsuitable to rule Solea, and had chosen me to rule it in your stead… Unless you decide to marry me."

The princess gawked in utter disbelief. The letter could have been obviously a forge, but the handwriting and the king's seal were there and real. It was unmistakable proof that it was, as a matter of fact, written by the king himself. "Never!" she protested.

"Well my dear, I will give you until after the burial to decide on that. If you refuse, then I spread throughout the kingdom that the princess had disobeyed the law. Be it a princess or not, you must still suffer the consequences," he said smugly. "But if you accept my generous offer, you would become my wife, rule Solea and continue your little game of charades."

The girl was now practically seething with anger. "Never!" she screamed as she ran up the stairs, straight into her room. She locked the door shut, sliding down against it, weeping quietly. Her father would be buried after three days. She would never marry such a man. She'd rather kill herself than be his. She gritted her teeth in frustration. No, she wouldn't do that. Her people would suffer under his rule, she was sure of it. She had heard reports of the oppressive government of Sylvaria. It drove the workers to their deaths. She heard a soft knock on the door and ignored it. The person on the other side continued to knock for a few more moments before pausing.

"Xylene, sweetie, it's me, Amelia."

The girl jolted up immediately and opened the door. The maidservant gave her a hug and ran her hand through the princess' hair. "Oh my dear princess, please don't cry…" she said in a comforting tone.

"Lugh… He…" Only one thing came up into the young noble's mind. "He killed father," she whispered, her voice turning dark. "He killed him to gain control over the kingdom."

"My dear," Amelia said hesitantly. "I know…" she said, stepping away from her.

"Y-you saw it? Why didn't you tell anyone?"

The old lady smiled. It wasn't the usual sweet smile, but it was a smile that hid something horrible inside. "Because I helped him kill your father," she whispered into her ear.

It took some time for the princess' mind to comprehend the sentence, but when she did, she froze. "You… You traitor!" she screamed, pushing the woman away.

The woman chuckled and headed towards the door. "I am not a traitor. My loyalty had always belonged Sylvaria. And now, Solea will fall," she said. She paused for a moment and looked over her shoulder. "By the way, there would be a ball these following nights before your father would be buried. Starting tonight, various men would be coming here to mourn." With that, she closed the door.

Xylene stood in the middle of her room, processing everything. She had been fooled and betrayed. She had nowhere to run. She had nothing to do, but to wait. The hours passed by too quickly for her own liking. The hours of solitude and peace was soon coming to an end. By the time she looked out her window, it was already dark, and carriages were arriving. She sighed and took a brief shower, an attempt to calm her nerves. She slipped into a mourning gown- a slim black spaghetti strap dress that went all the way down to the floor. She put on a short black poncho-like article that reached just below her bust with a slit in the front to cover her shoulders and put on some shoes.

She turned to the mirror and sighed once again. She took a few locks of hair from one side and braided them. She took another from the opposite side and did the same. She tied the two braids at the back with a black ribbon. Her hair was slightly wavy in nature, giving a few natural curls in the ends. She got the curls from her mom, who died giving birth to her, but the color was from her dad, when he was still young. She heard the knock of the door and immediately attended to it.

"Your Majesty, the visitors would like to see you," a maidservant said, her head low.

Xylene gave a brief nod. "Yes, tell them I'll be coming down soon." The servant bowed down and dismissed herself from the girl's presence. Before she went out, she took her white gloves and put them on.

"Ah Xylene, you're as beautiful as ever," Lugh said. Shivers went down the princess' spine. She didn't dare turn around out of sheer fear and disgust. "They're waiting for you…" he whispered into her ear, his warm breath making the princess jerk away.

She quickly ran away into the main hall where everyone was. His father's friends and family were there. Nobles and aristocrats from faraway lands came to mourn over the late king's death. "My dear Xylene," a woman cooed as she wrapped her arms around the girl. "I'm so sorry…"

"Thank you for coming Aunt Vira," she said, hugging her back. She pushed away from her aunt and gave her a reassuring smile. "It's gonna be fine. I'm gonna be fine." The woman smiled back and nodded. She gave her shoulder a squeeze before walking away. Throughout the night, the same thing happened. Condolences were given and a few tears were shed. Xylene grew tired of it and decided to get a bit of fresh air. On her way out towards the balcony, she caught sight of a familiar face, dark eyes staring straight at her. She immediately turned away and made her way out.

Outside, the cool breeze blew past her, giving her a sense of relief. The moon was full and it was awfully cold that night. She wrapped her arms around herself and gazed at the palace's garden. The pond in the middle perfectly caught the moon's reflection, making this night have two full moons. Her purple eyes teared up as she remembered her father. They played together, rode chocobos together and would just be happy back when she was young. Oh how much she wanted to relive those days… She sighed at the thought, not hearing the footsteps behind her.

"Why would a lovely lady be alone in her moment of grief?" a gentle voice said. Xylene turned around and widened her eyes as she saw Demetri right in front of her. "Princess Xylene of Solea, I presume?" he asked, a smile on his face. She nodded. "So it is true… The fabled princess is, indeed, a beauty." Xylene rolled her eyes, yet another suitor. "So why the long face Xylem?"

The girl stepped back in shock. "How… How did you find out?"

The man shrugged. "The boy back there was a little too talkative," he said with a wink. "By the way, I haven't introduced myself properly." He walked over to her and took he hand. "Prince Damien of Reignhalt, milady," he whispered, brushing his lips against her hand.

"Pleasure to meet you Prince Damien," she said politely as she took back her hand. "I've heard of Reignhalt's prince but… I've never heard of him having a knock for fooling princesses into thinking he was a man of the army."

The prince chuckled. "Well, I've never heard of a princess dressing up as a man and trying to enter the army," he countered.

A small smile managed to creep into her lips. "Well Damien, can I trust you?" she said, her voice soft. The man raised an eyebrow but nodded. "Well you see…" Xylene started to tell the prince about her predicament. All the while, he listened. "I need to do something…" she whispered, signaling the end of her story.

"Fight back."

"Huh?"

"Fight back. Don't let him get the better of you. Your people will understand. Would they rather listen to some stranger or to their princess and soon to be queen?" She stared at him for a moment before breaking into a soft giggle. The prince smiled as he saw her happier.

"I'm such a fool," she said in between giggles. She calmed herself down and took in a deep breath. "Thanks Damien." She smiled at him warmly. "I hope we meet again."

"I do too…" he whispered.

"Prince Damien?"

The prince looked over and furrowed his eyebrows. "I'm sorry princess, but I need to go."

"Oh, is that so?" she said, trying to act surprised in order to cover up her disappointment.

He turned her again, an amused expression on his face. "Is that disappointment I hear milady?" He chuckled as she frowned. "Well, may our paths meet once again." He leaned down and kissed her on the lips, freezing the girl. He took hold of her cheek as he felt her kiss back. He smiled a bit as they pressed their lips against each others. He heard the call of his servant again, making him sigh and pull away. "I'm sorry Xylene, but I must leave." He gazed at the girl once more and pulled her into a hug. "I'll be back tomorrow," he whispered into her ear before letting go.

When he left, Xylene was stuck there. Her face felt hot all over. '_What did he just do? What did I just do? What the HELL just HAPPENED?'_ she thought to herself. "Damn," she cursed as she leaned against the balcony's railings. She usually didn't curse. She just used them in dire situations. It was just something that would slip from Daniel's mouth from time to time, like when he was kicked by a donkey in the… yeah… He used pretty colorful words back then. She looked up from her thoughts as she heard the bell chime, signaling eleven o' clock. She took a deep breath and headed her way back in. She announced that she would be resting and thanked them all for coming. Damien gave a small wave as he was being pushed out by his servants.

She turned to the left and saw Lugh staring at her. She turned away marched right up into her room and locked the doors shut. She didn't bother to change and immediately fell into sleep's enchanting spell.

The following night was no different. The same thing happened, only with different people. Damien was back, like he said he would, and promised to come back again. And today was the third day - the day Lugh needed an answer from her. The sun was in the middle of the sky, saving no one from its heat. She had asked Daniel bring up her clothes from the stable. She knew exactly what she had to do. She drew out her own personal sword from under her bed and strapped it around her waist. She took a red ribbon and tied her hair into a ponytail. With a determined look on her face, she marched out of her room and into the throne room, where Lugh sat in his father's place. The man frowned as he saw her attire.

"So this is your decision…" he mumbled, getting up. "I'm very disappointed in you Xylene…" he said, shaking his head. "Guards! Seize this traitor!" Men in armor started to surround the princess, making her scowl.

"How dare you turn against your princess!" she screamed. Her hands started to glow and their weapon threw themselves away.

"See! She is a witch! She has turned against her people!"

"You killed my father!" she screeched.

More guards started to come, making her frustrated. She couldn't afford to hurt her people. She turned around as she heard the door slam open. "Xylene! Come on!" Xylene took Damien's hand and hopped onto the chocobo. "I'll bring you to somewhere safe…" They quickly escaped, leaving Lugh seething with anger.

* * *

_Lugh was madly in love with power, and Xylene. He wanted both to be in his possession. His plan was to take over Solea, the lead guardian of the crystal, and convince the other guardians to let only one kingdom protect it, Sylvaria. He did not dare result to military tactics, for he knew that it would be suicide. Instead, he presented himself as a suitor of the queen-to-be, Xylene. Two birds with one stone. He gets power and the princess._

_

* * *

_

_Weeks and months have passed, but the princess has yet to return. Two years had Solea suffered under Lugh's rule. Two years that the Prince of Reignhalt has yet to reemerge. The glorious kingdom of Solea had now fallen. Under his reign, Lugh had managed to successfully gain the favor of Rezalim, but is still at conflict with Reighnalt. He had made the people of Solea believe that the princess had betrayed them and left them to fend for themselves. He generously offered his service, though reuctant, the people had to admit they needed a ruler._

_But that was now about to end._

_

* * *

_

"Finally, Reignhalt has given me permission," he chuckled darkly to himself. "Power is at hand!" He smiled as he fantasized over the great things he could do with the crystal. He dreamt of using it to force other kingdoms into submission… or use it to make Xylene come out. He closed his eyes as he continued to wallow in his own ambition, but the sound of clanging metal disturbed him. He opened his eyes and saw his guard one by one fall to the ground.

"I came to take back what is mine you bastard!" Xylene announced as she walked across the hall, bow and arrow in hand. Behind her stood Damien, her now fiancé, Daniel, her loyal subject, and Selima, her mentor regarding magic. She aimed her arrow at the man, deadly accurate. "Step down quietly, or face the consequences of what you've done," she threatened.

The man chuckled. "My dear Xylene, you've come back to me!" he sang, spreading his arms sideways. "I knew you couldn't resist me." A blue shard barely missed his head as it past right by him.

"You didn't hit," Daniel informed.

"Well, I'm _so_ sorry," Selima said.

"Four versus one, ain't that a little unfair Princess?"

She shook her head. "No, they stay out as I kill you," she said sharply.

"My, you've turned quite a rebel," he commented. An arrow landed directly on his left arm, blood dripping from the wound. He frowned. "Very well then…" With a snap of the finger, monsters started to appear.

"Go! We'll handle this!" Selima ordered as she and Daniel fought them off.

Xylene nodded and aimed for Lugh's head. She let the arrow go, but the earth beneath her started to shake, her arrow missing the target. "Dammit!" From out of the crack emerged multi-colored auras. "What the hell's happening?"

"It's the crystal! It's awakening its destructive power," Selima screamed as she pushed away another one of the deformed creatures. The mage widened her eyes when she saw a figure creep up behind the princess. "Your Highness! Behind you!" she screamed.

The young noble widened her eyes as she turned and saw another monster charging towards her. "Shit!" she cursed, barely managing to counter the attack. Lugh stood right in front of the throne, an annoying smirk on his face. "Fight like a man you coward!" she screamed.

"But that would be so troublesome," he whined. "Why don't you just accept me?" Xylene felt shivers run down her spine. In a blink of an eye, Lugh had traveled the space in between them and was now in front of Xylene, still smiling. The girl was still a bit dazed at his speed and he seized the moment to hold her face. Her porcelain skin starkly contrasting against his black gloved hands. He slowly neared his face, gazing intently at her lips.

Xylene came back to her senses and immediately tried to push away. She tried to get his hand off of her face, but he had a firm grip. He was still nearing her and she knew what he was planning. Fortunately, he was thrown away by Damien who looked very pissed.

"Don't you ever lay a hand on her!" he threatened, pointing his sword towards him. He glanced to the side, "You alright?"

"Just peachy," she hissed, discarding her bow and drawing out her own sword. "Thanks for the help, but I had it all under control."

"Right," he replied, sarcasm lacing his words.

"Tch! Let me handle this," she announced. She was about to charge when she felt someone grab her wrist. "Let go Dam-!" She turned around and saw Lugh smirking, his eyes filled with hunger. _"Oh shit…"_

"I've been waiting for you for so long Xylene…" he murmured, drawing her closer. Xylene struggled to get free but his grip was so tight that it felt like her hand was about to break. She frantically looked around, searching for her missing prince. "Xylene…" Lugh said again, obviously enjoying the sound of her name. "You're mine Xylene, all mine," he whispered into her ear. Xylene jerked her head away from his face and tried to punch him with her free hand. He caught her fist and held it in the same bone crushing grip he had on the other. "You won't get away this time princess…" He slammed her into the nearest pillar and gazed at her.

"Don't you dare…" she hissed, her purple eyes narrowed.

He grinned. "Shh… Your fiancé's still-" He was sent flying as fist met face. Daniel stood where Lugh once was, shaking his hand.

"What a hard face…" He glanced at the woman and worry took over his face. "Are you alright your Highness? Did he do anything to you?" he asked hastily.

Xylene shook her head while she rubbed her wrists. "Where's Damien?"

"He's backing up Selima. You guys were talking then a horde of creatures attacked him," he explained. "But all in all, he's doing pretty well."

Xylene nodded and glanced around the wrecked hall. She couldn't see Lugh anywhere. All she could see was the creature coming right at an unaware Selima. The princess widened her eyes and went into hyper drive. "SELIMA!" she screamed as she ran towards her mentor.

The said woman turned around and saw the cause for the noble's concern, but was left with no time to react. Selima braced for pain, but it never came. She pried one eye open and soon the other followed, wide. "Oh god…" she whispered, horrified at the sight before her, bringing a trembling hand before her mouth. In front of her were the dead creature and a barely alive Damien. The creature, though lifeless, was still biting onto Damien's right shoulder. Damien on the other hand, had his sword plunge directly into the creature's chest, the point sticking out from the back. Damien slumped down, the creature finally falling off of him. "Damien!" Selima called as she rushed up to him, hands already prepared to heal. She placed her hands over his large open wound and they emitted a hazy green glow. "Come on, come on! Don't be like that! Xylene's gonna be pissed if you're out of it this soon…"

"I will be _very_ pissed, mind you," Xylene said, kneeling down beside her lover's body, tears already threatening to fall. "You promised you won't leave me…" she whispered, grabbing one of his hands and putting it against her cheek. "Don't go just yet… I still need you you idiot… I-I… I…" Xylene widened her eyes and dropped his hand as she saw a sword's tip emerge from her chest. She shakily held the blade, making sure it was real. Her whole body started to tremble as she felt the blood-covered metal against her fingers.

The mage widened her eyes as she looked up, seeing their princess was being impaled. She took her battle stance, but she soon felt herself crashing into one of the grand hall's marble pillars.

"My, my, my… Leaving so soon Damien?" Lugh purred as he paced around the bleeding body.

Damien coughed out blood. "Leave her alone…. Leave… them alone…" he hoarsely said, his eyes on his wounded princess who was lying near Lugh's feet. "You're hurting her…"

The man shook his head. "I'm afraid I can't do that, because that would mean leaving my beloved Xylene…" he reasoned.

"She'll die!" he managed to shout, though making him cough out blood again.

"So? She's just a little brat with a crown… No harm done," he shrugged.

"You…"

"Please, women are so easy to replace… Just like Amelia…"

Xylene, who was in a state of shock, snapped out of her daze when she heard her old maidservant's name. It wasn't that hard to figure out what had happened to her. Lugh must've got rid of her when she became useless. She gritted her teeth and struggled to get on all fours. She slowly, but very painfully, removed the sword sticking out of her and gripped it tightly. With all the strength she could muster, she plunged the long sword into Lughs back, and started to lift the blade, cutting upwards. With one last burst of energy, she threw his body into the air and sent crescents of purple energy after him, effectively cutting him up and killing him. Xylene panted heavily as she felt the blood loss take effect. "Daniel? Selima?" she called. The two hurriedly ran towards her but froze when they saw a figure crawling up beside Damien's bleeding body.

"Xylene!" they screamed in unison.

Xylene turned to where they were pointing at and saw a Lugh in very, very, _very,_ bad shape, a rusty sword in hand. "If I can't have you, no one can!" he screamed as he stabbed Damien right at the heart. Xylene felt herself drift away as she saw Lugh finally die in front of her eyes, and Damien struggling with the sword.

"No!" she screamed as she sat down beside Damien. The light was already deserting his eyes. She held his cheek in her hand, tear drops falling onto it. "Selima!" she screamed as she started to get to work. She knew a fair amount of healing spells, but she doubted she could do it on her own. The mage soon joined her and focused on the wound on his chest. "Damien you're gonna be-" Xylene went into a bad coughing fit. Xylene removed the hand covering her mouth and saw blood, lots of it. She felt saw her vision blur and felt woozy. Not long after, she collapsed to the ground.

Selima, the only one left who knew magic, was faced with a dilemma. She could only heal one at a time, but if she did, the other was sure to die. Who would she save? Who would she leave to die? She couldn't let either one of them die so she tried to heal them at the same time. It would have worked, if she didn't have bruises and cuts herself that were causing her to lose concentration. She felt a hand hold hers and looked down to see Damien. "Save her…" he begged.

"But-"

"Reignhalt has my father to rule it, but Solea will have no one if she dies," he said firmly.

Selima bit her lip as she tried to choose. Damien looked at her pleadingly. Selima sighed and turned around to work on Xylene. Her choice made Damien smile, knowing his beloved would live. "As soon as I finish here, I'm gonna work on you straight away, got it?" Silence greeted her. "Damien?" No one answered. She turned her head a bit and saw Damien peacefully lying down, smiling. Tears stated to well up in Selima's eyes. "Daniel! Damien's…!" The boy ran up to the prince and checked his pulse. Daniel closed his eyes and shook his head.

"He's gone…" he whispered.

"Oh Xylene…" Selima whispered as she focused her attention back on the princess. _"It's all my fault…"_

_

* * *

_

Xylene walked around the palace gardens, thinking deeply. Her burgundy hair tied into a neat half ponytail. She wore a light blue strapless dress and had a white shawl wrapped around her. She settled for her favorite spot, the willow tree. She sat on the bench under the tree and closed her eyes. _"Two years… Has it already been that long Damien?"_ Her thought were interrupted by the sound of faint chocobo footsteps, making a small smile grace her lips. "Good morning Daniel," she greeted politely.

"Good morning my Queen," he replied, bowing down. The two stayed in awkward silence before bursting into laughter. "How are you Xylene?" he asked as he gave her a quick hug.

"I'm… fine."

Daniel gave her a small frown before shrugging. "I heard Selima's in the teacher business again…"

"Mhmm… It's her calling, she said. And I heard that your one of the heads in the army nowadays…"

The no longer boy rubbed the back of his head. "So you've heard?"

She gave him a knowing smile. "Of course, a queen should know these things…" she laughed.

Daniel joined her in her laughter and got up onto his chocobo. "Come on Xylene!" he called as he offered a hand. She gladly took it and hopped onto the giant bird. "Where to?"

"To the stable, I need to change first," she replied, a smile on her face. When they got to the stable, she quickly went in and changed her clothes. She put on a white long sleeved blouse that reached just above the knees under a blue vest. She wore black tights and knee high boots. She expertly tied her hair, making it look much shorter. She put on some fingerless gloves and strapped a belt around her waist where her sword was going to hang. She wrapped cloth around her chest to make sure everything was concealed. She walked out of the stable and let Daniel examine her. "Will this do?"

"Good enough," the boy shrugged. "Why do you still do this, _Xylem_?" he asked as she got on.

A small smirk appeared on her face. "It's fun," she replied. "Now, off to the training grounds!" she announced, pointing toward a direction. Daniel rolled his eyes but obeyed the young queen.

"Y'know, most people already know you're you…" he pointed out.

Xylene giggled. "Yes, but it's nice to mess around with new guys," she said. "Poor guys won't know what hit 'em."

Not long after, they arrived at the training grounds where the warriors would usually spar against each other and be taught fighting techniques, but ever since Xylene ruled over Solea, drastic changes had been made.

Women were allowed to join the men in the army as warriors as well. Sylvaria was split between the three kingdoms since it was left with no ruler. Solea's part flourished under the young queen's reign. Xylene had also convinced Rezalim and Reignhalt to open trade with the other realm, Aldresh. Aldresh was the outside world, where humans were no longer ruled by royalty and had technology that surpassed Hythena's, though the price was the presence of magic. People in Aldresh never had and never will have the capability to whip up spells for their ancestors betrayed Hythena and separated themselves, forming Aldresh.

"Xylem, we're here," the young man announced.

"Thanks Daniel," she said as she hopped off. She spotted a Dark man from the side and beamed. "Francis!" she called, waving her hand. The man waved back, a smile on his face. "So where are they?" she asked as she ran up to him.

"You're a little early Your Highness. They have yet to arrive," he replied politely.

The noble frowned, but immediately smiled again. "Alright, then I'll just have a walk around the grounds if you don't mind."

Francis shook his head. "Of course not Your Majesty. Would you like me to accompany you?" he offered.

Xylene shook her head. "I'll be fine. I won't get lost," she giggled as she walked away, waving a hand.

"Please, do be careful Your Highness!" he called.

"Sure, sure," was her nonchalant reply. She strolled around the ground and found herself at the lake near the grounds. She slowly walked up to the edge and looked at her reflection. She managed to pass off as a flimsy boy at least. No muscles, no hard jaw line. Just a smooth face. She sighed at herself.

"Queen Xylene Dyverina of Solea," a female voice softly said.

Xylene looked around and saw a beautiful lady sitting on one of the huge rocks beside the lake. She wore a white flowing gown and had blond hair. Her blue eyes sorrowfully gazing at the lake. "You're… Cosmos… The goddess of harmony," she said to herself. She smiled weakly. "Please, I prefer the title Princess or Lady… Queen makes me sound old…" she joked.

The lady smiled and nodded. "Yes Xylene, and I need your help. Your world is in trouble. The crystal… is gone."

Xylene widened her eyes. "Impossible! How could that be?" she blurted out. "The three kingdoms are guarding it closely. No one can get near it unless…" Xylene felt her heart stop. "Unless…"

"It was a god," Cosmos continued. "Chaos had called forth ten warriors to seize their world's crystal. I did the same in order to reclaim them."

"So, I'm the tenth?"

The goddess shook her head. "You're the eleventh. Chaos had revived another one not too long ago, and he came from this world. Seeing that you've killed him once, I thought you were the best choice."

"By 'he', you mean…" The goddess nodded. Xylene gritted her teeth. "I'll go."

Cosmos looked at the young lady in front of her with a worried look. "Xylene…"

"It's alright."

Cosmos closed her eyes, head low. "Very well then…"

* * *

___I can't believe i haven't published this one. I reread it and I got tears in my eyes. Man, I'm vain._


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Xylene smiled as she walked along the beach's coastline. There weren't anything like these in Hythena which was filled with forests, fields and mountains. The sea was nonexistent and lakes, waterfalls and rivers were the only bodies of water that would be beautiful during the sunset.

She inhaled the sea's salty but refreshing breeze, her hair dancing behind her. She caught the silhouette of a man a few meter in front of her. She smiled, her purple eyes shining as she recognized the peculiar shade of brown hair that whipping against his face. She broke into a run, happy to see him again, but she couldn't seem to reach him or get any closer.

"Damien?" she called as she made her way towards him. She was pulled back by someone gripping her wrist and gasped in horror when she saw Lugh's twisted face.

"You're not going anywhere princess," he murmured.

From the corner of her eye she could see Damien turning around, leaving her. "Damien!" she called. "Damien! DAMIEN!"

* * *

"Damien!" she screamed, jolting upright, her hand grasping into the open air. She realized that it was all a dream and ran a hand over her face. She looked around and noticed she wasn't in Solea anymore, or anywhere in Hythena for that matter. She saw numerous pillars scattered all around the courtyard, some had already fell to the ground. She could hear the faint clash of swords and the shattering of glass in the distance and, against her better judgment of running away, she followed.

She found four men, four _strange_ men, fighting against crystal-like beings. "What the…" She kicked a rock and one of the creatures noticed her. She instinctively reached for her sword on her waist, but grasped onto nothing.

She widened her eyes. She was sure she had it. The creature was coming closer, it's huge blue sword high above its head, none of the other men noticing it. Xylene frantically grasped for anything and felt a rod of light emerge from her hand. The light faded away and revealed her silver bow, a gift from a blacksmith back in Aldresh. She smirked, it would have to do.

She jumped back a few times and produced a white rod, aiming it at the incoming beast. She let go of the projectile and sent it right through its head, hitting another creature behind it. She nodded to herself. _'Yep, I've still got it…'_

She saw their overwhelming numbers and figured it was time for her to step in. She made a run for it, weaving around the fighting beings, dodging and jumping over their attacks. Surprised and puzzled glances greeted her, but she ignored them.

She jumped high up into the air, a huge, glowing, crackling white projectile aimed right towards the ground. "Run for cover!" she shouted as she let go of the arrow. In mid-descent, it separated into smaller, sharper arrows and divided yet again into finer projectiles. White, sharp needles fell from the sky, shattering the manikins. The men were hiding right behind the pillars.

She landed on her feet and dusted off her clothes, noticing she still had her wrap on. She looked up and saw the men approaching her. One had blond spiky hair that had his narrowed blue eyes carefully watching her. The other blond was a bit more energetic, reminding her of Daniel. One was in dark armor. The last had many weapons attached to him.

"Hi there," the energetic blond said. "Thanks for the save back there," he said as he kicked away some remains of the manikins.

"No problem," she said casually as she let her bow disappear.

"My name's Cecil and this is Tidus," motioning to the blond, "What's your name?" the one in dark armor asked.

"I'm Xylene Dyverina," she told them. She received weird looks from them. "What?"

"Well, Xylene is a weird name for a guy," the man with many weapons pointed out.

Xylene smiled. Her disguise managed to work even in this world. "Well, maybe because I'm _not_ a guy," she said bluntly.

"Y-You're not?" the man asked.

She sighed and pulled down the invisible ribbon that held her hair up. "So?"

"I'm very sorry. My name is Firion," he said, his head lowered.

"Please, it's alright. I usually do this to escape or get some fun," she said, waving her hand. "I take it that you're one of Cosmos' men, am I not mistaken?" she asked, eyeing them.

"You are correct," the other blond replied. "My name is Cloud Strife."

"A pleasure to meet you all," she nodded, but pulled her eyebrows together as she gazed into the distance. "I'm sorry, but I believe I have to find someone." She turned to them, her face dead serious. "Have you heard of a man named Lugh?" They all shook their heads. "It seems as though Cosmos would not make this easy for me…" she sighed. "It was nice meeting you, though I fear I must take my leave. May our paths once again cross," she said as she turned her back towards them and started walking away.

"You're going alone?" Tidus asked. Xylene stopped and turned slightly.

"Well, seeing that you men are also occupied with finding your own crystal, I must find my own," she explained. "I might just become a hindrance…" _"…because I have a tendency to scream while I'm asleep,"_ she thought.

"But do you even know where to go?" Firion questioned her. He crossed his arms in triumph and he saw her furrow her eyebrows. "I guess not. I suggest that it would be better if we travelled together, for safety."

"Yes. Safety in numbers," Cecil said in agreement.

"I take it that you are not bothered by the idea of a woman my age fighting alongside you full-grown men?" she teased, though there was a deeper meaning in her words. She didn't want to be left out in fights like before. If these men were just going to set her aside, then she'd have to leave.

"Of course not!" Tidus replied. "In fact, we were lacking in female members!" he chuckled.

"He's right on both accounts," Cloud said. "Why'd you be even concern with that?"

"_Because from where I come from, women weren't allowed to fight before we changed it… Me, Damien, Daniel and Selima…"_ she though sadly. "I have my reasons," she said, shrugging.

"You said 'woman of your age'… What was that suppose to mean?" Firion asked.

"Oh, you caught that?" she chuckled as she rubbed the back of her head. "I'm actually not that young anymore at the age of nineteen. Though when I saved the world, I _was_ young, and wild," she said, her last sentence mostly to herself.

"So, are you coming with us?" Cecil said.

Xylene thought for a moment before grinning widely. "Another shot at a life-threatening adventure? Why not?"

* * *

A man impatiently tapped his finger on the throne's armrest. He had long blond hair tied into a ponytail and azure eyes that could pierce through anyone's soul. He was dressed in a regal suit, gold adorning the edges and buttons. He gazed at the empty marble hallway. _"Exactly as I remembered," _he thought to himself.

A soft knock was heard coming from the wooden door. He called for the person to enter and saw a woman in a red, fur-trimmed dress with wing attached to her. "What would be the reason of your visit, Ultimecia?"

"Mateus simply wants to hear your answer. And he also wants to check if you haven't wandered off to find the girl," she answered.

"Tell him that I cannot accept his offer though tempting," the man said. "I have only two things that would satisfy me, Xylene and her pain."

Ultimecia frowned at his answer and started to walk away. "Lugh, I must tell you that you must focus on what you are doing."

"Oh but I am," Lugh answered in a cheerful tone. Ultimecia looked over her shoulder for a moment, a frown on her face, before exiting the hall completely.

When she left, Lugh produced glowing shard in his hands and one by one threw them towards the statues on the sides. They were the only ones different; four statues and a painting to be exact, two on each side while the painting was hung just above the wooden doors for the one sitting on the throne to see. How he hated the statues and he hated the painting even more.

"How could I have let this happen?" he growled, his face twisted into that of unimaginable hatred and insanity. He blinked and shook his head. With a sigh, he pushed himself off of the throne and headed out. "No matter, everything would be set straight in the end," he told himself, a devilish smile on his face.

* * *

The five warriors gathered around a crackling fire, a few of its embers floating about. According to what the men had said, they were now at The World of Darkness. Xylene pulled her legs close to her and wrapped her arms around them, resting her head on her knees. Her purple eyes mirrored the flickering flames as she gazed intently into them.

"Is something wrong Xylene?" Firion asked as he passed her some food. She shook her head gently as she gratefully accepted the small meal.

"Are you sure? You don't look too good. We know it's not much, but can you blame us for the lack of food? " Tidus joked as he ate his share in one gulp.

"Nah," she said, waving her hand. "Just been thinking is all…" She examined the men around her and smiled. "So, do you have any cool stories?" she said, all giddy like a small girl who got a new toy.

The blitzball star smirked and pointed a thumb towards himself. "I'm a famous blitzball player from where I'm from!" he said proudly, his smirk still on his face.

Xylene raised a delicate eyebrow and tilted her head to the side. "Blitzball?" she repeated.

"Yep!" Tidus replied, not noting the girl's confusion.

Cecil heaved a sigh and smiled towards her. "It's a game where you are kept inside a ball of water while you kick a ball towards the enemies' goal," he explained.

"Oh… How interesting…" she nodded. Firion took a bite out of the fruit he held in hand and looked at her curiously.

"How about you Xylene? You haven't told us anything about you yet," he noted.

Xylene laughed. "Indeed I haven't," she chimed. "Though I must say that compared to what you men do, my life is utterly boring after our rebellion."

"So, what do you do?" TIdus pressed.

She smiled softly as she glanced at Cloud. "I believe that we should do this story telling starting with you Cloud. I must say, what is behind the hard face that Mr. Cloud Strife holds?" she said in a mystical voice, making Cloud freeze. "Is it something he wishes to hide? Is it pain or happiness? Is it grief or joy? Or something totally different?" she continued, not noticing Cloud's uneasiness. "So, what makes Cloud Strife tick?" she laughed.

Cloud stayed silent, refusing answer.

"Did you know I can read minds?" Xylene said from out of the blue after a few moments of silence. Cloud widened his eyes, but frowned as the girl started to laugh. "If you don't want to say anything, I'm not pressing you. We all have our rights to keep things to ourselves and I, for one, have no right to intrude your personal life. Just answer a simple question…"

The ex-SOLDIER braced himself for the question. He feared that it would be something that he wasn't willing to answer.

"What do you do?" she asked innocently.

Cloud blinked and sighed in relief. "I work as a delivery boy," he said plainly. There was a moment of silence before Xylene let out a low whistle.

"Alright, I take it back. My life isn't as plain as yours," she said, rubbing the back of her head.

"Oh, and what do you do?" Cloud hissed, a little annoyed.

"I… " Xylene drew her gaze back to the small fire. "I… I'm Queen Xylene Dyverina of Solea. I look over my kingdom's activities and personally observe my soldiers' training," she said in a slightly bored tone. "Day in and day out. Not really as fun as when I was off saving the world," she chuckled.

"Well, your Highness, I must say you stay true to your word," Tidus laughed as Xylene shot him a glare.

"Well if that's it, I'll get some shut eye," she announced as she stood up, dusting off her clothes. "But if you want, I'll take first watch."

Firion shook his head. "No need. I will take watch. You and the others can go ahead and have some sleep. We'll take turns. One of us will wake you up if it's your turn."

"Alright, good night then…" she said as she walked a few steps away from the group. She sighed as she sat herself down, resting against one of the pillars. She gazed up at the eerily dark and empty sky. She closed her eyes, reliving her memories as she drifted into sleep.

* * *

"_Where are we going?" Xylene demanded as she clung onto Damien's clothes, fearing that she might fall._

"_Somewhere far away where no one would find you, the portal," he whispered. "I also asked your friend to come along. He's waiting for us in the forest just between the borders of Reignhalt and Solea."_

"_The portal? Are you insane?" She knew full well that when he said the portal he meant the portal that led to Aldresh. Based on what she knew, it was rare for the Hythenians to venture into that world and if they did, they would be considered as a potential threat._

"_It's the only place where you could be safe Xylene. Where we can be safe," he reasoned. The chocobo skidded to a stop as a line of soldiers blocked their way. Xylene frowned and mustered up all the magic she could as she made the ground under them split, making them fall. The chocobo jumped over the gaping hole and proceeded with its escape._

_Xylene rolled her eyes. "You are totally insane," she murmured._

"_Well, your Highness, it's hard to stay sane if someone like you comes around and messes up my life," he said with a slight chuckle. The princess and pouted and playfully shoved his shoulder. The chocobo halted once again and she noticed that they were surrounded by trees. "We're here."_

_Damien got down and extended an arm to aid the princess. He protectively wrapped an arm around her shoulder as he led her through the dense layer of trees and into a makeshift camp with a small pile of wood in the center of three tents. The two heard shuffling noises and saw Daniel emerge from one of them._

"_Your Highness!" the boy said in relief as he wrapped his arms around her. Xylene smiled at the 13-year olds' welcome and returned the hug._

"_I'm glad you're alright," she murmured. She glanced to the side and glared at the man who had just saved them. "You have a lot of explaining to do," she growled as she pulled away from the boy. Damien looked at them innocently and sighed._

"_I'm sorry I had to rescue you like that… It was very rude," he apologized. He looked up at the girl whose eyebrow was raised expectantly. "We're heading towards Hythena's Edge. It would probably take us a week or so before we get there, and when we do, the cracks on the ground would serve as our escape to Aldresh."_

"_Alright, then how do you expect us to get around Lugh's men? Surely he wouldn't let me get away that easily," she noted, crossing her arms over her chest._

"_We'll just have to be sneaky, your Highness!" the boy cheered._

_Xylene turned to the boy with a tired smile, nodding slightly. She felt something wrap itself around her waist and looked up to see Damien._

"_Everything's gonna be fine Princess," he whispered in her ear as they watched Daniel go back into his tent._

_Xylene sighed. "I hope so," she murmured as she rested her head against his chest, closing her eyes and enjoying the peaceful sound of the birds chirping._


	3. Chapter 3

Xylene forced one eye open and it lazily glanced around. _"Nope, no sun yet… more sleep…" _Her gaze wandered off and scanned the surroundings even further, making the other eye crack open as well. _"Right, I'm not in Solea anymore…"_ she reminded herself. She rubbed her eyes to erase any sleepiness and tried to get on her feet.

She squeaked in surprise when she felt herself tumble to the side. She immediately held onto the pillar and steadied herself. Her joints and back ached, probably due to the uncomfortable position she slept in last night. _"It's times like these I miss beds,"_ she thought to herself in mild amusement.

When she managed to stand up properly, she started walking around the place. She noticed a few sleeping figures near the once burning fire which were now only ashes. She counted the figures and noticed one was missing. She looked from side to side and finally caught sight of a tuft of dull blond hair bobbing up and down.

She smiled to herself and made her way towards the supposed-to-be-watching Tidus. She quietly walked up to him and tapped his shoulder gently. "Wakey, wakey sleeping beauty. It's my turn. You better go back to the others if you want to catch some shut eye," she said, stirring the blitzball player.

"Xylene?" he murmured.

"Yep, now scoot over," she ordered as she pushed him to the side a little. She sat down beside him, drawing her legs close to her and wrapping her arms around them. "How's you sleep? Any dreams?"

Tidus chuckled. "None that might interest you, your Highness," he joked as he hopped onto his feet.

Xylene huffed childishly and pouted, turning away from the man. "Very funny Tidus, very funny," she said sarcastically.

"G'night your Majesty," Tidus said with another chuckle.

Xylene turned to him and immaturely stuck out her tongue at him. Her actions made both of them break out into a laugh. "Right, good night Tidus," she said as she waved to him.

"Yeah." The man walked away, his footsteps echoing throughout the place. Xylene peered over the pillar she was resting against and watched him leave. She raised her eyebrows when she saw three other figures approached Tidus. Upon realization, she shook her head with a small smile on her face.

She got on her feet and started heading towards her comrades. Tidus was being a handful based on what she was currently hearing. Firion and Cecil, she could see, were shaking their heads, arms crossed. Cloud on the other hand, had his gaze turned away from them and into some distant place and time.

"Good morning everyone," she greeted with a soft smile on her face. Firion and Cecil returned the greeting.

"Good morning Xylene. I see your all ready after your shift," Firion said as he glanced at Tidus. The young man glared at the weapons specialist.

"I'm telling you, I just finished my watch," Tidus proclaimed.

"Knowing you, you must've slept throughout your turn," Cecil joked, but he got a glare as well from the blitzball player.

Xylene couldn't help but laugh as Tidus tried to convince the two to believe him. Cloud, on the other hand, kept quiet throughout their dynamic discussion. "A gil for your thoughts?" the princess said as she neared him. The ex-SOLDIER turned to her, his face void of any emotion. "You seem a bit bothered. I can sense your unease."

He shook his head. "No, I'm fine. I was just… thinking. Anyway, we should get moving. We should cover as much ground as possible during the day," he said, turning and walking away. The three other men followed him, leaving Xylene to think for a moment. She gazed up at the sky, her face in a sad frown.

"But there's no day in this place…" she whispered before following her comrades.

* * *

Lugh sighed to himself as he sat on his throne. He was alone inside the grand marble halls of the castle. Although alone, he favored it as he was surrounded by familiar things. He managed to stay within the castle since he came, refusing Mateus' invitation to his plots and Kuja's persistent requests. He also managed to shun the crazed jester out and keep his sanctuary free from the other pawns of Chaos. They would sometimes drop by, but he didn't care.

He gazed around, seeing the same things he saw the day before, and the day before that. How he cursed the painting that taunted him every single day. He would have ripped it apart and burned it into ashes, but he had plans for it when his princess came.

He smiled at the thought of the brunette royalty that eluded his grasp. How he wanted her so much… To hold her, make her his, make her suffer… He shook his head. No, he had to be patient. With a long sigh, he stood up from the grand chair and decided to take a stroll around the grounds. He went up to the huge ornate wooden doors and pushed them open with relative ease. He stepped out, and at once, he was greeted by the sight of a dark red cloud with a pillar of black piercing it.

His face twisted in disgust. Kefka's Tower. It was the nearest to his area, the Kingdom of Solea. The kingdom was cut off at the village. The farming fields that were supposed to be beyond them were replaced by a thick forest lurking with manikins. Farther off, was the mad clown's lair. A place that reeked of death and rotting flesh with barren lands. Fitting for a man who had gone insane whose only pleasure was destruction.

He continued his walk, passing numerous works of art on one wall, while the opposite was filled with paneled windows that had cast geometric figures onto the carpeted floor. When he was out, he was greeted by a cool breeze that was tainted with the faint scent of death, most probably it swept by Kefka's lair. He could see the wooden houses and the town square. Amazingly, the flowers in the palace garden had survived without much care. They bloomed into full color, surrounding a clean pond and a nearby willow tree.

He closed his eyes, absorbing everything, when he heard the faint sounds of swords clashing and water bursting. This alerted his senses and he immediately headed towards the source of the ruckus. He darted in and out of alleys, trying to find the place where the sounds came from. He stopped when he was near the archery range where the clashing was the loudest. He waited in behind a corner and finally saw what he came for.

He saw a boy in red armor, his sword blocking an attack from a yellow manikin. The sound of crackling lightning caught his attention. _"A mage… It must be-"_ His thoughts were halted when a blond woman in red came into view. She was busily barraging the poor mindless beings with lightning bolts. She wasn't the one he was looking for.

"Terra, behind you!" the boy warned. The woman turned immediately and sent a spear of ice towards the charging creature, killing it. Another manikin crept up from behind the boy, its large sword raised. The woman -Terra- caught sight of it and made water erupt from where it was. The manikins started to circle around them, having them back to back.

"Any ideas Luneth?" Terra panted. Luneth shook his head.

"None as of yet." A manikin charged and managed to cut the boy's cheek before it was sliced in half by him. Terra widened her eyes when she saw all of the creatures charge. In desperation, she summoned whirlwinds around her and they sucked up and crushed the manikins. Luneth followed the fleeing ones and killed them easily. The two panted as they bent down a bit to rest. They lifted their heads when they heard clapping.

"Marvelous, just marvelous!" a blond man cheered. "That was wonderful, truly wonderful!" Lugh approached them casually, a pleased smile on his face. "Though I would have preferred that you were the girl I was looking for…"

"Who are you?" Luneth demanded, his sword in his hand.

"My name is Lugh," he casually replied, his hands clasped behind him in a gentlemanly fashion. He noticed Terra's unease and chuckled. "I see your uncomfortable with me around. Well, you should be. I'm with Chaos."

Luneth got in front of Terra and took a defensive stance. "You're not getting anywhere near her!" he growled.

"Oh my, I don't want anything from her, but I was getting bored." He grinned evilly at the two. "You two might entertain me for the meantime." With a flick of a wrist, a dark rod of energy appeared in his hands and took the form of a black blade, its guard fashioned into a dragon. "Let's see if you can handle my tricks."

Luneth gritted his teeth and charged head on. He swung down his sword, only to be deflected by an invisible shield. Terra couldn't stand and do nothing so she produced five orbs of white light and sent them all towards the man. Lugh made five shards of black energy and hit the orbs, destroying them. Luneth jumped in from behind, but was again blocked by the barrier.

Terra fired a ball of flame towards him, but it was blocked by one swipe of his sword. She called forth lightning to rain down from the sky, but he was untouchable. Luneth jumped up and meteors started to fall, all aiming at Lugh. Lugh grunted at the distraction and made the earth under the woman to move and flung her to a nearby wall, rendering her unconscious.

Luneth widened his eyes as he saw his unconscious friend and immediately thought of a plan to get them out of here safe. He casted a spell and sent a huge block of ice towards Lugh's way and hit him square on the chest. The attack sent him flying into a nearby building, dust and rubble flying everywhere.

When the dust settled, Lugh stood up and glanced around. Nothing.

"We've got ourselves a runner." He started heading for the kingdom's outskirts, tired of staying in one place after a taste of combat. Then, with an evil grin, he spoke.

"Where are you my sweet, sweet Xylene?"

* * *

Xylene froze. She stopped walking for some reason, but she didn't even know why. She felt a chill run down her spine. The men looked back at her with curious and concerned looks when they noticed her silence.

"Anything wrong?" Firion asked from afar.

Xylene snapped from her daze and smiled sweetly. "Nah, everything's alright. Just, I dunno, went blank for a moment I guess," she explained, rubbing the back of her head. She started to walk again, passing the four people she was with. "Well, come on," she laughed.

Cloud quietly followed her and fell into step with the young queen. "You seem a bit bothered. I can sense your unease," he quietly said, quoting her words from earlier. Xylene laughed nervously.

"Seriously, I'm perfectly fine." Her eye wondered to his glowing blue eyes that were staring, no, almost glaring at her. She smiled a wide, happy smile towards his way, but Cloud remained unconvinced. She warily looked behind. Their other comrades were a few feet behind, just enough to be out of hearing range. With a sigh, her outer shell of happiness melted away. "I see you saw right through me," she muttered, a slight frown on her face. "I'm usually good at this."

"You were, but I figured you were the type of person to hide something," he replied, shrugging. "The look on your eyes, though well hidden, was that of confusion."

"I must say, I never thought of you as one who can read people," she commented, smiling to herself. "But bear in mind that I have had years of experience. And for a lad like you, you pose to be an easy task Cloud Strife."

Cloud looked at the girl, his face blank of any emotion. Although he looked uninterested, he was getting nervous around her. He felt like she could actually see past through him. In the short time they had been speaking with each other, he felt like she had already known him from the start. She was at ease with anyone, but with that sense of familiarity also came insecurity and paranoia. It was as if you couldn't hide anything from her…

"I-"

"Hey guys! Look over there!"

Cloud was about to give the young noble a cold reply but Tidus had managed to cut him off. The two turned towards where the blitzball ace was pointing and saw a small village. From where they were, they could see the stone houses and tiled roofs. Xylene squinted her eyes and stood on her toes to get a better view.

"I suggest we should check it out," she said. Tidus immediately agreed with her.

"I don't know," Cloud started. "We shouldn't be waltzing into villages. Manikins might be crawling all over the place."

"Though I share your concerns," Cecil interjected, "I, for one, agree with Xylene. Who knows, maybe we could find some decent food there." The paladin turned to their other comrade with an expectant look. "What do you think Firion?"

The weapons specialist thought for a moment before smiling warmly. "I think we should. Anyway, I think we can take on any enemy we might encounter." Xylene and Tidus high-fived and got a head start on walking towards the village. Firion eyed them curiously. "Lively aren't they?"

"Yes. They prove to be a handful be it their fighting or being friendly," Cecil said, nodding and following the two young warriors.

"Hey Cloud, what were you and Xylene talking about?" Firion asked, falling into step with the spiky blond who was already heading towards the small settlement.

"It was nothing. Just some stuff about the other warriors," he lied. Firion opened his mouth to say something, but something caught his eye. He turned slightly and saw Tidus running towards them with a very worried expression.

"Guys! It's Xylene!" he called out them, panting as he stopped right in front of them.

Cloud widened his eyes a bit. "What happened?" he calmly asked, though Firion was already heading towards the small town.

"Sh-She… W-we were walking around the place-"

"Cloud!" Cecil called.

Cloud cursed inside his mind and looked at the teen. "We'll sort this thing later. For now, we need to get there." He immediately ran towards the village, Tidus right beside him. Tidus took the lead as they entered the town. He weaved through the streets as quickly as possible without losing his friend.

Cloud managed to get a good look at the place. It was fairly odd. Some parts were burned and broken, while the other parts looked like brand new. Dead and alive trees were scattered beside the streets. The houses were all made out of wood and stone, some crumbling, some under construction. He followed Tidus and soon, they found their comrades. They were kneeling beside a figure, just near the outskirts of the city.

"Cloud! Tidus!" Cecil said as the two came into view. "We don't know what's wrong. She's breathing, but she won't move."

"It's like she's sleeping, with her eyes open," Firion summed up.

"Yeah, but she had gone wild a moment ago," Tidus interjected. "She had this blank look on her face and started shooting stuff at me! She had totally lost her mind back then!"

"TIdus, what exactly happened?" Firion prodded.

"Well, I was going to grab that odd looking statue when she lunged at me. When I looked up, I saw her on all fours, breathing heavily. She was muttering stuff to herself when she turned and saw me." Tidus casted a worried glance at the still frozen figure of the noble. She was staring into space, her eyes void of any light. "She started attacking me with her fancy spells. Luckily, I managed to dodge them, but I think it wore her out."

"Was she wild as in animal wild, or wild as in she just started attacking?" Cecil questioned.

"Is there a difference? All I know is that she was not herself," Tidus said.

Cloud turned to where Xylene lay and went over to the suspicious statue. It was fashioned into a dragon. It was detailed in its nature, every scale and curve masterfully crafted. It would have been something pleasing if it weren't for the menacing eyes that it bore. He was about to touch it when he heard a grumble coming from the girl. The four immediately rushed to her, trying to aid her. Her eyes were wondering about lazily, a small smirk on her face. She winced as she tried to push them away and sit on her own.

"S-Shit…" she managed to say, though hoarse. "Don't you dare touch those things." She started to regain her energy. She successfully pushed them away and sat on her own. She reached up to her temples and rubbed them. "Crap… I can't believe they still work."

"Xylene, are you okay?" Firion asked, checking if there was any injury.

The girl shook her head. "Not really. My head's still spinning, but I'll live," she said warmly. She carefully stood up and walked up to the statue. She glared at it for a few moments before vaporizing it with a ball of flame.

"What are those?" Cecil asked as he watched the remaining pieces dissolve into black particles before being swiped away by the gentle breeze.

"They're traps. They were set up all over Hythena when it was under Lugh like this town, Chalem. These statues were enchanted, whoever touches them would be momentarily attack anyone in sight," she explained, giving a look that said sorry to Tidus. "They were meant for me and my group. After attacking, the affected person would just drop down. It would seem as if the body had shut down when in actuality he or she was being tortured mentally."

"Tortured mentally?" Cloud repeated.

"Yup." Xylene leaned against a nearby wall and crossed her arms. "The time when one attacks, he or she would be led to believe that they were fighting against enemies. But when they stop, the spell makes them see stuff like realizing that they were hurting their comrades, their fears and all that jazz…" she said casually.

"These were set up to kill you?" Tidus asked.

"More or less," she shrugged. "But I think the goal was to kill each other though…"

"So, you saw stuff when you weren't moving?" Cloud asked. Xylene nodded. "What was it?"

Xylene froze momentarily and thought. What she saw was nothing short of horrifying. She relived that terrible moment. All the cuts and bruises… She saw and felt everything again, from the fear and disgust when Lugh was holding her, to the feeling of the cold, blood-soaked blade protruding from her chest. She could feel all of the sadness and grief again and she hated it.

"Xylene?" Tidus poked, drawing her out from her reverie. "So, what'd you see?"

She heaved a long sigh and pushed herself off of the wall, heading back into the town. "Things," she said bluntly, pausing as she spoke, but continued to walk afterwards.

* * *

_Xylene frowned at the woods around her. They had been travelling for about three days already, passing by towns that lay at the outskirts of the kingdom. Damien had refused her to go with them into town to buy supplies because of the risks. She was currently wanted for the murder of her own father. Somehow, Lugh had managed to make the citizens believe that she had killed him with the aid of her maidservant, Amelia. Amelia had been sentenced to death and Xylene would be the next if things went for the better._

_She patiently waited for the two men to come back to their make shift camp. She lazily kicked a stone towards where the fire once burned the night before. She was about to fall asleep when she heard strange noises. She stood up quietly and tried to locate where the noises were coming from._

_She pushed away some bushes and found a beautiful statue of a woman with wings. She was indeed very beautiful and had an unearthly glow. She cautiously approached it and noticed its details, acknowledging the work spent on this particular piece. She could hear the Daniel and Damien calling for her, but she ignored them. There was something about the statue that just mesmerized her. She unconsciously reached out for it while her friends had just found her._

"_Xylene, don't touch-" Too late. Xylene ever so gently touched the marble and momentarily froze. "Xylene?" Damien called._

"_Your Highness?"_

_Xylene turned her head towards them, revealing blank, lightless eyes. Without another word, she shot several spears of ice. The two immediately took out their swords and crushed the chunks into pieces, glittering as they fell to the ground._

"_Xylene? What's wrong with you?" Damien said as he jumped out of the hurling rock's way. The princess ignored and ran past him, heading back for the camp. There, she quickly took her sword and narrowed her eyes. She lunged at Daniel as he came out of the trees. The boy barely knew how to fight and managed to dodge. Damien jumped from behind the boy, causing her to skid back._

_Panting, Xylene sent lightning bolts towards them and at the same time, threw balls of blue crackling energy. Daniel was hit by one of the orbs and lay unconscious on the ground, skin, and clothes slightly burned. Damien cast a worried glance at the boy but returned his focus to the matter at hand. He decided to fight even if it meant hurting her, but as he took a stance, Xylene started tipping from side to side before finally collapsing to the ground, eyes staring blankly into space._

_Damien rushed up to her body and tried to shake her awake from her daze. He noticed tears slowly down her face as light slowly came back into her eyes. Her silent crying then turned into held back sobs when she finally came to as she hid her head on his chest._

"_I'm so sorry," she said in between sniffs. "Daniel, did I…"_

"_No, you didn't," Damien reassured her. "He's unconscious, yes, but alive." He calmly ran up a warm hand up and down her back, an effort to calm her down. Xylene started to grow calmer and fell asleep in his arms. He looked up at the sky. It was getting dark. He carefully lay down the princess and started a fire. He then attended to Daniel who was groaning._

"_You took quite a shot there buddy," he cheerfully said as the boy tried to sit._

"_Yeah, I kinda did," he laughed as his gaze wandered towards the noble. "She alright?" Damien nodded. "I told you we shouldn't have left her alone."_

"_I know, and I'm sorry for ignoring your suggestion."_

"_How far is it?"_

_Damien thought for a moment. "Around two more days. We should be nearing the edge now. By the way, I heard from some old ladies that there was a reward for our heads. I bet those bounty hunters are gonna love this," he laughed dryly. "I also found out that Lugh had hired a mercenary just to make sure to get the job done."_

"_He wants her dead? But I though he loved her…" the boy slowly said. Damien frowned with the word 'loved'. Lugh didn't even know the meaning of it._

"_I know… That guy, he's just… deranged."_

_

* * *

_

_*huff* *huff* Did you like it? Let me know please._

_Oh yeah, updates are going to take a bit longer if you haven't really noticed. Training's harsh y'know._


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Chalem, a village at the outskirts of Reignhalt's capital. Home to farmers and traders, most of the kingdom's trade and food came from the quaint town. Fertile lands surrounded it and it was located at the intersection of one of the kingdom's most used routes. Trees lined the cobblestone streets, but at the square, they would be replaced by stalls neatly arranged around the bell tower.

Xylene sighed as she remembered the time her father first brought her to Chalem. It was for political reasons, of course, but the King managed to escape from his meetings to spend time with his beloved daughter. They would try to lay low and visit the stalls. At the end of the day, they would bring home fresh fruits, vegetables and flowers of different kinds. But now, in its desolate state, Xylene could hardly believe this was Chalem, the place where she first met Damien.

"So Xylene," Firion said, startling the young noble from her thoughts, "You said you know this place… Would you know any place where we can find some decent food?"

"I'm not really sure. The market usually has a stock, but they're mostly vegetables and fruits. I'm not sure if they have rotted, but maybe if we're lucky, we can find something good," she said as she turned at the corner of an old looking building.

"Do you remember where?" Cecil asked. She nodded. She led them through the town's winding streets, finally arriving at the bell tower. As she suspected, the stalls were filled with produce, but the stench told them they were way past their consumption date.

"These are no good…" Cloud said as he picked up a rotting tomato that turned into mush in his hands. "Do you know any other place?"

"I'm trying… This place is filled with shops, so it'd be hard to check them one by one. How about we split up?" Xylene suggested. "So far, we haven't encountered any manikins so it must be safe enough to roam around here."

"She has a point," Tidus commented.

"But it would still be dangerous. We should still be with someone at least," Cecil said, his brows pulled together at the thought of being separated from his comrades.

"We can split into two groups," Cloud suggested. "Cecil and Firion could go with me. Tidus, you stay with Xylene."

They all looked at each other and nodded. "None of us have a problem, so let's get going," Xylene stated.

"One question though, why am I stuck with the princess?" Tidus asked. Xylene shot a glare towards the blitzball player and elbowed him, causing him to wince.

"Because you're the most likely to get lost and Xylene would help you if you did," Firion smugly said, making Tidus frown. Cecil chuckled for a while before giving the young man a solemn pat on the back and headed towards the buildings. Cloud looked at them for a moment before following Cecil. Firion soon followed them, leaving Tidus and Xylene.

"Now that's that, come on," Xylene called. She headed towards the opposite direction.

"Where are we going?" he asked, as fell into pace with the woman.

"Well, the market's no good… but maybe the restaurant's might have some preserved goods," she said, mostly talking to herself. She looked up at the sky and smiled a bit. Tidus was about to say something, but when he opened his mouth, she had already ducked into an alley. Tidus froze for a moment, expecting the worse, but followed her soon enough.

Much to his relief, he managed to catch up to her. She was standing in front of a door that had a sign that said 'La Cashmere '.

"Sorry if I had to rush like that, but I just remembered something." She reached for the door knob and groaned when she found it locked. With one swift motion, she kicked the door opened and entered without any hesitation.

"Was that really necessary?" he asked as he entered.

"Well, it _was_ locked."

Tidus looked around and saw cloth and clothes and sewing materials everywhere. "I thought we were looking for food…"

"I used to hide out here. When our camp outside this town was found, we had to stay here. My aunt graciously allowed us to stay for a few days until the guards left." Xylene kicked another door open and revealed a flight of stairs. "This leads up to the living quarters. My aunt would usually leave some dried fruits or something. The restaurants are not far from here, so you can check them out."

"Cloud told us not to separate." Xylene ignored him and went up the stairs. "Hey!" Tidus called, but she didn't respond. He sighed in frustration and followed her up. He found himself in a short hallway, a door in each side. He checked the one to the left and saw more rolls of cloth and leather. He closed the door shut after him and went for the other door. Inside were two beds, a closet and a small table, but Xylene wasn't there. "Xylene?"

"I'm in here," she said from inside the closet. She stumbled into the room with a small bag in her hands. She threw it to him and smiled. Tidus gingerly opened it and looked at her questioningly. "Those are the keys to the restaurants."

* * *

Jecht grunted as he walked down the palace's hallways. Amazingly, the carpet didn't rip as he dragged along his huge sword. _'Why me of all people?'_ he thought to himself. _"I don't even like the guy…"_ He pushed open the huge wooden door, not bothering to knock, and raised an eyebrow. "Now where did he go?"

With a shrug, he turned around and quietly went back to report.

* * *

"He's gone," Ultimecia said. "He wasn't supposed to leave."

"That man is truly troublesome," Mateus said, gazing into the darkness above. They were surrounded by ruins. The ceiling itself threatening to fall while crumbling pillars dared to support it. "We need to get rid of him as soon as possible."

"We can't lay a finger on him… That'd ruin our plan," the witch pointed out.

The Emperor was silent for a moment before darkly chuckling to himself. "Then let's speed things up and get his princess to acquire her crystal sooner."

"Now how would you do that?" Ultimecia asked, a smirk forming in her face as she realized where he was getting to.

"You know full well, but who do you think could do the job?"

"Kefka's been bored lately. Maybe he'd like a nice chase for a while."

"Perfect."

* * *

"This tastes awesome!" Tidus cheered as he ate another spoonful of rice.

"I'm glad you liked it," Xylene said as she wiped the utensils she used clean.

"Now I'm definitely amazed. How can royalty cook?" Cecil asked as he set his glass of water down.

They were in one of the restaurants. After gathering what they could, Xylene suggested that they stay the night since it was already getting darker. None of them disagreed, so they ended up having a decent meal for once, using the food they had. The noble suggested whipping up something nice, so here they were.

"Desperate times call for desperate measures," she laughed as she sat down to eat her share.

"It was a good thing that you guys found some meat," Firion said. "I was getting sick of all the berries." Xylene giggled a bit. "Hey Cloud, you haven't touched your food. You better eat up or else Tidus would gobble it all down."

"Hey!" the blitzball player complained.

Xylene glanced at the ex-SOLDIER and sighed. "I'll just go to a nearby in and check if everything's clear," she said as she stood up.

"But you haven't even had a bite," Cecil pointed out.

Xylene stopped at the door and turned a bit. "I don't want to eat any of that! I'll get fat," she said, pouting. Soon, she was out the door and into the cold night.

Xylene could hear them chattering and smiled. _'They are good people,'_ she thought. She turned at the first corner and saw what she was looking for, the local inn. She opened the door and quietly went up the stairs, lighting the candles on her way up. The scent of old wood lingered in her nose as she breathed. She could hear the crackle of fire… Xylene widened her eyes and immediately ducked as the wall exploded.

"What the-"

"Ooooh… You are a pretty one, but can you last a game of cat and mouse?" a man clothed in a multi-colored suit said. He casted another fireball and sent it straight towards the woman down the stairs. Xylene put up an invisible barrier, but she was still sent flying by the force.

"Who are you?" she demanded.

"Who are you?" the clown repeated in a higher voice, mocking the woman. "Why, I'm Kefka, you're new playmate," he said as he shot numerous bolts of ice.

Xylene ran out of the building and summoned her bow. With deadly precision, she shot a red blazing arrow which exploded on impact with the building. She headed back to the others but skidded to a stop when she saw the worst thing she could possibly see.

"How dare you try to harm her!" Lugh said, his voice booming. He looked to the side and smiled at the woman. "Oh how long have I waited to see you again Xylene? Are you alright?" he said as he walked towards her, arms reaching out.

Xylene instinctively raised her bow, preparing another arrow of energy.

"Xylene!" someone shouted, but it was too late.

She widened her eyes when she felt pain shoot up her right arm. She felt herself tilt and fall to her side, but was surprised when she didn't fall to the ground. She gazed up and saw Cloud looking down on her with an unreadable expression. She tried to steady herself but winced as she moved her burned arm.

"Don't move," he said, his glowing blue eyes examining her arm. He gently turned it from side to side and assessed the damage. "Nothing's broken, thankfully, but you're skin's pretty bad."

"It feels bad too," she said, chuckling dryly. "Where are the others?" she asked, noticing no one around except the four of them. She heard explosions going off and turned to see Kefka and Lugh up against each other. The clown made eye contact with her and gave her a manic smile.

"My work here is done! Toodles~" he said as he jumped up and waved goodbye.

Lugh turned to Xylene and Cloud, eyes narrowed. "Who are you?" he said darkly. Xylene instinctively clutched onto the ex-SOLDIER who, in turn, tightened his grip around her. "A friend? Or maybe more?"

"Cloud you need to go," Xylene whispered. She tried to stand up and act bravely, but the pain in her arm surprised her that she stumbled back down. Cloud glared at the king in front of them and scooped Xylene up from the knees, carrying her bridal-style. "Cloud," she warned, giving him a glare while her cheeks turned a slight tinge of pink.

"Let her go peasant," Lugh ordered. "You have no right to lay a hand on my precious flower."

"Shut up you bastard! I'm no flower of yours!" Xylene responded. She could hear the faint but rapid footsteps of her other comrades.

"Xylene, Cloud! Are you… Who's the dude?" Tidus asked, forgetting why he came.

"Are you two alright?" Cecil asked as he ran up to the two.

"I'm fine… Xylene's not though," Cloud said, eyeing the singed skin.

"I can stand Cloud, seriously… I just- Watch out!" she screamed as she blocked several bolts of blue energy with a barrier. She immediately retracted her burned arm as pain shot through it again.

"I am Lugh, King of Sylveria… Xylene's fiancé," the nobleman said. Xylene gritted her teeth.

"Will you shut up already!" She couldn't help but send a ball of white crackling energy towards him. Lugh effortlessly dissolved the attack with his own, smirking all the while.

"Did you do that to her?" Firion asked, nudging at the burn.

"No, would never hurt my love," he replied smoothly.

"Would you please put me down Cloud! He deserves a hit from me!" Xylene demanded as she tried to push away from the man, but his grip was too tight.

"You're already hurt. We can't risk you getting injured even more," Cloud said.

"He's right dear… You should just stay back," Lugh said smugly, "and let me keep this locket of yours for a while." Xylene froze as she caught sight of the dangling circular piece of metal shimmering in the moonlight. As if to agitate her even further, Lugh opened it and smiled evilly. "You have wonderf-" He was cut off when a surge of electricity went up his system.

"I don't care how you got it." The woman's hand started to crackle with sparks going off. Slowly, the skin regenerated, leaving no trace of the fire that ravaged it. "I don't care how you got it." In one swift motion, Xylene slipped away from Cloud's grip and started heading straight towards Lugh, electric sparks visible around her. "I don't care who you got it from. All I care is that you FRIGGIN' GIVE IT BACK!" she demanded, her eyes glowing purple.

Xylene wildly sent out purple crescents of energy towards him, but he evaded them.

"I must honestly say, the children do take after their parents," he taunted from atop the roof. He closed the locket and hid it inside his coat. "I won't accept me losing to Damien, or to you. Come and get me if you want this necklace back." A black cloud started to surround him before finally fading with the wind.

Xylene took in a deep breath and the glowing subsided. She turned around and gave her comrades a happy wave. "Now this was an eventful evening," she said as she walked towards them.

"Are you alright Xylene?" Tidus asked. "You were… well…"

"Wild? I know. That doesn't really happen often," she chuckled as she rubbed the back of her head. "It was because of an accident back then that I get these outbursts."

"And the locket?" Firion pried.

"It's… a memento," she said with a fond smile on her face. She quietly turned around. "After blowing up the inn, maybe we can stay at the lodge near the square."

"He said something about children like their parents... Are they..." Cecil didn't even dare to finish his looked at the four of them and sighed.

"No... They were orphans I used to take care of back when I was hiding in Aldresh," she calmly explained. "Anyway, ain't I a little too young to raise a family?" she chuckled as she started walking.

"Yeah Cecil... Don't jump into conclusions," Tidus joked as he playfully punched the dark knight in the arm. As soon as he did though, he withdrew it and shook it in pain.

"Don't punch someone in armor with your bare hand Tidus," Firion laughed and Cecil joined in with the laughter. Cloud couldn't help but smirk as well.

"Mhmm…" Xylene nodded. She paused for a moment and as her comrades passed her, she looked up into the sky. _'I'll get you Lugh and I'll take back what's mine.'_

_

* * *

_

_Woohoo~ I can finally make these things again! School's been a murderer and I think my coffin's already there._

_If it sucks, sorry' bout that… exams are coming and rush things here and stuff. You get the picture._


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Lugh played with the necklace as he strolled down the woods. He swung it back and forth, occasionally opening the locket to inspect it. The locket was masterfully crafted out of smooth polished gold. There were no engraved designs. It was just a simple, oval pendant. Inside, however, a picture was there that gravely angered him. He would angrily shut it close and continue to swing it.

The earlier encounter was horrible. His poor princess was injured by the crazed jester. What's worse was that there was a man who came to be her knight in shining armor. Lugh laughed at the thought. She needed no one to protect her, or so she says. Lugh was very irritated by the fact that she was travelling with a group of men. He had to do something.

He looked up at the dark sky and smiled. He stopped swinging the locket and raised it up to eye level. "My dear Xylene, I will save you from these horrid peasants."

* * *

Xylene and the others had left Chalem and were off into the woods once again. She was particularly quiet now. She didn't have the heart to strike up a conversation. She was too occupied with her thoughts.

She unconsciously glared at the ground as she walked. Last night was very bad. Lugh had finally found her and it was only a matter of time before he makes a move. He was unbelievably possessive, making the people around her prone to danger. The fact that he had her necklace didn't help either. She automatically wrapped her arms around her to find comfort.

"Xylene! Watch out!" Firion called. Xylene snapped out of her reverie and widened her eyes as she turned and saw a muscular orange manikin with its sword raised up high. She was too surprised and was frozen in her place. Thankfully, Firion shot an arrow that immediately killed it. As she came to her senses, Xylene looked around and saw a huge horde of manikins surrounding them.

"I don't need this," she mumbled as she knelt down to the ground. She slammed her hands onto the ground and huge pillars of water erupted from the earth. The manikins that were trapped in the columns of water tried in vain to get out, but Xylene froze them as she got up. She glared at the now cold crystal pillars and they shattered into a million pieces.

Her comrades looked at her with wide eyes. "You didn't have to do that," Tidus whispered as a shard of ice fell on his out-stretched hand.

Xylene ignored him and continued walking on. Cecil looked at the others with a troubled look. "Is she alright?" the paladin questioned. "Ever since she saw Lugh, she's been keeping to herself lately."

"I agree. She's been acting strange for quite some time now," Firion added. "She's always frowning and glaring now…"

The noble was already out of hearing distance when they started conversing to themselves. She didn't care what they said. She knew they were concerned about her, but it was unneeded. They should be concerned about themselves. They didn't know what kind of thing Lugh was capable of, but she did. He was a master of manipulation and torture. As long as she stayed, Lugh would be after them.

She had entertained the idea of leaving, but she couldn't do it. Deep inside, she was afraid. Only a few people knew that she was afraid to be alone. She had confessed that to Selima when she was in Aldresh and was separated from the rest of the group. She found herself clinging to her friend like a scared child. Every time Selima would go, she would quietly curl herself up into a ball and try to comfort herself.

Now, as she felt loneliness creep in once again for the first time in months, she wanted to do just that.

"Xylene?" Tidus called. The princess didn't even turn. "We were wondering… Are you alright?"

The young lady stopped in her tracks. "I'm perfectly fine Tidus," she said in her normal way, but she still didn't face him. "Now if you don't mind, I sense a storm coming so we need to find shelter soon." The blitzball player looked up into the sky and indeed, he saw thick dark clouds looming over head despite it being mid-day. "Can anyone of you climb up the trees and check if there's a nearby cave, village or whatever?"

"I'll go," Firion offered and he was up a tree in a few moments. He narrowed his eyes and scanned the area. He could see the faint outlines of mountains a few miles away, but there was neither a shadow nor an outline of any structure. "I can't see anything," he called down below. He blinked as a drop of water fell on his face. More drops fell, slowly at first, but the drizzle soon became a downpour. Firion jumped down and headed towards a thicker cluster of trees, hoping to find shelter under their leaves. Cloud and the others followed, but by the time they found a dry enough spot, they were already soaking wet.

"Too much for keeping dry," Tidus muttered. He removed his shoes and tried to pour out any water that might have seeped in. He took of his socks and gave it a good squeeze too.

"Hope none of us get sick though…" Cecil pointed out. His armor was shiny as the water slid down the white metal. His hair was wet and it clung to his neck and face. The ground made a squishing sound at every step he took. Mud had caked onto his metal boots, much to his annoyance.

"I wonder how long before the rain lightens up…" Firion said to no one in particular as he gazed up into the dark gray sky. So far, judging by the darkness, the storm wasn't going to pass for few good hours.

Cloud was soaked to the bone as well. Mud soiled his boots and pants while the rainwater made his spiky hair droop down. Cloud looked from side to side, looking for their other comrade. "Where's Xylene?"

"I'm up here Cloud," she called from above. The four looked up and saw her sitting on one of the stronger, thicker branches of the huge tree. She had removed her vest and boots in order to dry, leaving her with her thin white blouse and black tights. She had also untied her hair, letting the full length of it fall in brown wet waves. "So, what's the plan?" she asked as she twisted her hair to get rid of the water.

"Well, we have to wait out the rain," Cloud started. "After that, we keep heading north I guess…"

"What's there in the north anyway?" Tidus bluntly asked. "Do we even know where we should go?"

"None of us know. We're just relying here on pure luck I guess..." Firion said. "How 'bout you Xylene? You have magical capabilities. Do you sense anything?"

The woman closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "I… Yeah, there's something up north. Not sure if it's a crystal though…" she told them. She jumped down from the branch and landed on the squishy waterlogged mud.

"Wow, you're short," Tidus teased as he compared their height. The comment earned him a punch to the side.

"We need to get a fire started if we want get dry," Cecil pointed out. "But every piece of wood's wet so… What can we burn?"

"Hey, is that a cave?" Tidus asked as he pointed at a huge wall of rock that had a black gaping hole. He gave a pointed look at Firion. "I thought there wasn't any shelter nearby…"

"We must've run a good distance from where we were… It wasn't his fault," Cecil said.

"Yeah, anyway, at least we have decent shelter," Xylene added as she pointed finger above at the dripping water. "Hey, maybe there's wood there too," she laughed.

Tidus looked at her weirdly. "Hey, you're back to normal!" he exclaimed as he lunged at her for a hug. Xylene sidestepped, avoiding him and making him fall onto the mud. The noble giggled as he stood up, all dirty with mud. She widened her eyes when she saw him grab a handful of mud and throw it at her. Xylene managed to make a run for it, jumping up into the trees to collect her things and made a beeline for the cave.

Cloud shook his head as he saw Tidus run into the rain, following the young lady. He looked at Firion and Cecil who just smiled at their antics. The ex-SOLDIER sighed and followed the two. Cecil and Firion came right behind him and when they reached the cave, Xylene had a huge brown spot on her blouse and was starting to hurl blocks of ice at the blitzball player.

"Tidus, this was my only blouse!" the woman screeched. As she was about to throw the block of ice, a strong hand grabbed her wrist. She looked up and saw Cloud looking at her with his usual stoic face.

"You've had your fun, now let's see if we could find anything to burn," Cloud said as he let go of her. Xylene immaturely stuck her tongue out at the man. Tidus smiled at her, thinking that he was able to escape.

Cecil and Firion searched the depths of the cave and saw a few dry branches that must have been swept in by the winds. With a little help from Xylene, they had a decent fire to keep them warm. They had placed their clothes on rocks and placed them near the fire to dry, leaving them bare-chested. The storm continued to rage, having no intention of passing anytime soon.

"Xylene, get out of the rain!" Cecil called. The woman ignored him as she tried to scrub the mud out of her previously white blouse. The paladin shook his head and turned to Tidus. "Was it really necessary to throw mud at her?"

The blitzball player looked up from the berries in his hand. "Well, she let me fall in the mud," he pointed out.

"Because you were about to tackle her," Firion said in defense.

"You're going to get sick!" the paladin called once again in an effort to get her out of the rain. "At least make her come back here. She's really going to catch a cold or something…"

Tidus looked out towards Xylene and noticed how pale she was turning out to be. "Fine," he sighed as he got up from his feet. "Xylene, you need to come back in! You're seriously gonna get sick!" Tidus called out. The woman just continued scrubbing. He rolled his eyes as he marched into the rain and dragged Xylene back into the cave by the sleeve.

"You owe me a new blouse Tidus… It won't come off in the water," Xylene mumbled as she continued to examine the stain.

"You're fighting a war and you only care for your shirt?" he asked, a bit annoyed.

"Is my vest dry?" she asked, totally ignoring the man's question as they came into the cave's warmth.

"Most of our clothes are dry already," Cloud said as he put on his shirt. "It's just the shoes left." The ex-SOLDIER looked at their female comrade. "And your blouse… How are you gonna get that dry?" Xylene looked down at herself and sighed. She grabbed hold of her vest and walked deeper into the cave where the light couldn't reach.

"No peeking!" she called from the shadows. Cloud, immediately realizing what she was going to do, turned around and walked back to the fire. He dragged Tidus along and sat down around the warm circle that the fire made for them. After a few moments, Xylene came back into view. She had discarded her blouse and settled with just her vest while something white was underneath.

She quietly put her blouse on one of the rocks and sat down on the ground with them. "What are you guys looking at?" she asked as she felt their stares.

"Is that… a scar?" Firion managed to say, pointing his finger at the dark area in between her collarbone.

Xylene looked down and squeaked and 'oh'. "Funny story…" she laughed.

"What happened to that?" Tidus prodded.

"Stuff…" Xylene bluntly replied with a shrug. She unconsciously started feeling for it, her fingers lightly touching the smooth raised skin. "It happened during the battle with Lugh…" Unknowingly, tears started to well up in her eyes. She remembered once again the pain that she felt when the cold metal passed through her.

"You don't have to tell us anything if it's too personal for you…" Cecil said as he put a hand on her shoulder. Xylene wiped away the tear that threatened to fall and smiled at them.

"Nah, I'm fine." Just then, thunder boomed and echoed throughout the cave's walls. They all looked out and saw lightning starting to flash while thunder followed after it. "This storm won't give up!" she complained, flinging her hands.

"It's already late… We should just stay here for the night," Cloud suggested. "If we go out into the rain, who knows what might happen. Out there, visibility's poor. We would be flying blind."

Xylene suddenly sneezed, making them all turn to her. "We told you you'd get a cold," Cecil sighed as he shook his head. The girl sheepishly looked at them and smiled weakly before sneezing again. "You better stay near the fire while you rest to keep you warm. I'll take first watch," the paladin offered.

"I can't argue with that," she said as she inched closer to the fire. Its warmth embraced her, comforting her. She let out a yawn. "Now ain't I tired?" she laughed as she pulled her legs closer to her, wrapping her arms around them.

Firion raised his eyebrows in amusement. "Well, I'm turning in for the night. Cecil, just wake me up after your shift," he called as he moved farther away from the fire and lied down. Tidus and Cloud followed suit and soon, Xylene and Cecil were the only ones awake.

"You better get some rest Xylene," Cecil said.

"Don't worry, I will," she replied weakly as she lied down on the ground. Although she didn't want to sleep yet, she couldn't resist but fall under its spell. What greeted her in her dreams, however, were less than pleasing.

* * *

_Pain. She could feel pain, but she couldn't determine where it came from. She saw images flash right before her eyes. The green grass and the colorful flowers of the palace garden suddenly were stained with blood, lots of it. Xylene slowly walked up the marble stairs of the place she knew as home, but felt too foreign to be the walls in which she grew up in. she unconsciously followed the trail of blood that led up to the throne room. She shakily took hold of the blood-stained door knob and turned. The door opened with a creek and she peered into it. What she saw made her turn pale._

_Two children lay on their backs, both cold with death. She ran up to them, feeling the warm tears come and cloud her vision. She dropped down to her knees and stared at them. A girl and a boy in white blood-covered sleeping clothes. She shakily reached out for one of them, caressing the boy's cheek._

"_No… Not them… Please, not them," she started whispering. She raised her hands to clutch her head but froze at the object in her other hand. A bloodied knife. She stared at it and the wounds on the children. "No.. No! NO!" she screamed, tears falling. "NO!"_

_

* * *

_

"No!" Xylene screamed as she felt hands push her down.

"Wake up Xylene!" a voice called.

Xylene opened her eyes and looked at the people surrounding her. Cloud, Tidus, Firion and Cecil all looked at her with concerned faces. She paused for a moment, staring at them, before breaking into tears. "Calm down girl," Tidus crooned. She ignored his words and planted her hand on the ground while she clutched her head with the other.

"I couldn't… I wouldn't…" she mumbled in between sobs. "Never… " She felt a hand her shoulder and looked up to see Cloud with a very concerned look on his face. "I wouldn't… right? I would never hurt Evan and Emma… You know that." Cloud nodded, understanding her fears.

"Relax Xylene… Everything's fine," Firion said in an effort to calm the girl's nerves. "What happened?"

The girl took in a deep, shaky breath. "A… A nightmare is all…"

"That's one hell of a nightmare if it makes you scream and cry like that," Tidus commented. Firion shot him a glare.

"What was it about?" the paladin asked.

"I-I… I-it…" she stuttered. "M-My…" Her mind suddenly flashed at the necklace that Lugh held when they were at Chalem. She shakily stood up and headed out the cave, taking her blouse with her.

"Where are you going?" Tidus called as he ran into the still pouring rain after her.

"Go back Tidus. I need to do this on my own," the woman said coldly.

"Xylene," Firion said, following her. "What are you planning?" Xylene looked at her comrades and heaved a shaky sigh.

"I'm leaving. I need to get back what Lugh stole from me," she said calmly. She smiled kindly at them and tilted her head to the side. "I'll tell you everything when I get it back okay? I promise."

"But-" Cecil tried to protest, but she was already speaking again.

"You have children don't you Cecil?" The paladin nodded. "Well, then you'll know the feeling of a parent concerned for their children's safety." The men stared at her.

"You're…" Tidus failed to finish his sentence. Xylene giggled as she slowly stepped backwards before turning and making a run for it in the rain. The blitzball star stared as he watched her run away.

"Well that was unexpected," Firion said after a few quiet moments. He turned around and headed back into the dry cave. The rain started to lighten up.

"That's all you have to say?" Tidus exclaimed, still not getting over the meaning of what she had said. "Cecil! Say something."

"I completely understand her cause," he bluntly said as he followed after Firion.

"Cloud?"

"She told me," was the ex-SOLDIER's calm reply.

"She what?" Tidus burst. "You knew?" Cloud nodded. "How?"

"Back at the village, I caught her wandering around in the streets. I followed her to an art shop where she looked at a portrait of a mother with two children. She caught me and decided to tell me everything," Cloud explained. The blitzball player was about to open his mouth but was cut off. "She told me to keep it a secret."

Tidus wanted to argue, but he was at a loss for words. He looked back towards where Xylene had disappeared. "Well, she better explain when she comes back," he muttered, retreating back to the cave.

"She will. She promised," Cloud said as he followed him after one last look at the mist-filled forest.

* * *

Xylene ran through the thicket and continued heading north. She saw a portal open and entertained the idea of going in. She took a deep breath and jumped in.

"_I'll get back what's mine…"_

There were far more frightening things than being alone.

* * *

_I gotta stop typing during the late nights…._


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Xylene glared at the ground, kicking a stone. She had acted brashly and blindly went into a hole that she didn't know where it led. She shook her head stiffly as she looked up and continued on glaring at the landscape. _'Barren.'_ Mesas rose from the ground made out of purplish rocks. A large full moon shone its hazy self onto the area, casting shadows everywhere. The young queen flicked her wrist, and in an instant, her sword appeared. She had no reason to call for it. She had just acted on pure instinct.

"Damn rocks," she cursed, settling herself down on a boulder. She stabbed her sword onto the hard surface and looked intently at it. She needed to end this. The thought of not knowing what was happening back home was tearing her apart. She had no knowledge of what her enemies could do, and it made her even more restless.

A cold wind swept through the deserted area, making her shiver. Had she know that this place was cold, she would have brought more appropriate clothing, not just a blouse and some tights. Then again, she had no expectations of her being in her current situation.

She heard heavy footsteps coming her way, making her jump up to her feet and pull out her sword from the ground. She narrowed her eyes at the empty terrain before her. Nothing. Shaking her head, Xylene cursed herself for being paranoid. It must have been the fitful sleep, the lack of food or the accident. She didn't know what was making her get all jumpy.

She refused to sit back down and drop her guard so she decided to continue roaming about, sighing every now and then. As she continued on with her aimless walking, she couldn't help but reminisce the past…

* * *

"_Daddy, it's cold~!" a young Xylene whined as she tugged on her father's robes. "Can't we go home yet~? Amelia's cooking some delicious soup," the young girl persuaded. Her father laughed heartily and gave the girl a nice pat on the head. The child frowned and tried to fix her hair as soon as her father's hand was out of the way._

"_We can't go home yet princess. We're not even there yet," the man kindly explained, taking his daughter by the hand and continued leading her through the trail. It had been five years, and almost nothing had changed, except for Xylene growing up._

"_Can't we go on a warmer day? Why do we always go when it's so~ cold~?" the girl asked, half-sighing. _

_The man smiled warmly, though his eyes had no trace of such warmth. "It won't be that special if we do go on another day," he said, his tone a little bit sad. Now, Xylene had this thing about being good with people - always knowing when they were troubled or changed in any way. Xylene turned to her father as she noticed his sadness and caught a glimpse of his face. She felt guilt well up in herself and hugged him tightly._

"_I'm sorry Daddy! I won't do it again! I won't whine anymore, so don't be sad," she apologized quickly, fighting back a few tears. Her father sighed and picked her up. Xylene rested her head upon her father's shoulder as he patted her back. When the girl was sure her father was alright, she pushed herself away and grabbed his hand. She began running through the familiar pathway. "Come on Daddy, let's go see Mommy~!" she laughed as she continued to drag her father along._

_They continued to run through the tree-lined trail, leaves of different colors falling gently all around them. As they came to a clearing, a small, but beautiful, white structure stood in the center, four tiled pathways leading up to each entrance. The two of them immediately slowed their pace and absorbed everything around them. They stepped onto one of the pathways and stopped for a moment. It was when Xylene started tugging again that her father moved._

_They continued up the few steps that led to the elevated marble structure. It had a dome-shaped roof with pillars giving it support from below. The pillars were connected by carved marble, leaving only a few gaps for the four pathways. A human-sized gravestone crafted from black marble stood a few feet off the center._

_Xylene let go of her father and rushed in to hug the cold stone structure. She reached up with her small hands to run her fingers over the carefully engraved words. It was only recently that she started to read for real so she did her best to understand what was written. After reading the short passage, she looked at her mother's portrait that was attached to the gravestone before turning to her father, her eyebrows pulled together._

"_What does it mean Daddy?" she asked, slowly walking to his side._

_The man wrapped his arm protectively around his daughter and heaved a sigh. "It was your mother's favorite thing to say: Life is like a tapestry. You cannot make it into the thing of beauty that it is without letting other pieces of thread come in and add a splash of color; otherwise, life would just be plain." He laughed after reciting the short verse from heart. "Your mother was very special… She had a way with words that sometimes it just didn't make sense I guess…"_

_Xylene pouted a bit, not getting the answer she was looking for, but she was content. "Daddy, is it just me, or is Mommy a bit to left?" she asked out of the blue after a few moments of silence. She sensed another feeling of sadness wash over her father and she turned to him. He was already kneeling down to her level, eyes serious._

"_Yes, she's not in the middle honey… And there's a reason to that…" he stated sadly._

_The girl tilted her head a bit to the side in confusion. "What is it Daddy?"_

"_It's just that, someday, I'll be leaving you and would go join Mommy in heaven…"_

_

* * *

_

Xylene shook her head, snapping herself out. She felt warm liquid run down her cheeks, and that's when she realized she had been crying for some time now. She wiped away her tears with the sleeve of her blouse and looked around. She was still in the dark, barren wasteland, but she could hear signs of a fight near her. She readied her sword and started walking closer towards the sounds of clashing metal.

A man was fighting alone. He was against multiple crystalline figures of different shapes, sizes and color. So far he seemed to be doing good, prompting Xylene to wait for him to eradicate the creatures, and already having the feeling that he would resent any unwanted help. But the manikins were started to grow in number and she had no choice but to help him out, seeing that his movements were also slowing down.

Xylene moved closer and started slicing down the creatures one by one. She caught the man looking at her. She couldn't tell whether or not he was glaring, but he was still looking her way. The young queen ignored him for the moment and continued slaying the crystalline figures. After they had done away with the manikins, Xylene decided to introduce herself.

"Hi, I'm Xy-"

"Save it," the man had blurted out with a harsh tone.

Xylene raised a finger and prepared for a comeback when the man turned around and started to walk away. Frustrated, Xylene huffed and stomped a foot onto the ground. "At least tell me your name!" she called out.

The man stopped and turned towards her a bit. "Squall, Squall Leonhart."

"Squall , huh? Another troubled man I suppose…" Xylene thought out loud, loud enough for the man to hear.

"What would you know?" Squall murmured as he continued to go on. Unfortunately for him, footsteps followed him. "What do you want from me?" he asked, partially annoyed. He turned around to see that Xylene was following him.

"Well, you refused to know my name, yet you give yours. Ain't it a bit unfair somewhere?" Xylene said, clasping her hands together behind her back.

"If I ask your name, would you leave me alone?" Squall exasperatedly asked.

The young queen smiled playfully. "Maybe… You wanna try?" She was being childish again, but who would blame her. She was royalty. She lived her whole life under the rules and regulations of society, her only escape was Daniel.

In a way, she was robbed of her life. At the age of fifteen, she was put in a delicate position, to choose her kingdom and lose her freedom, or to choose her freedom and lose her kingdom. At the age of seventeen, she killed a man and governed a whole kingdom. At nineteen, she was now here, fighting for a goddess. Girls her age back home would be busy planning for their marriages, daydreaming about their future husbands. Xylene, on the other hand, was already a widow.

Squall sighed. "What's your name then?"

"I'm Xylene Dyverina, Queen of Solea," she said, smiling in triumph.

"Alright Xylene, will you leave me alone now?" the gunblader asked, his tone nothing but seriously annoyed. He had obviously had it with Xylene's company.

"Maybe…"

* * *

_I dunno what to make of this. I've left this fic for quite some time now, so I dunno… This chap's mostly a flashback to our hero's much earlier life and meeting our lil' SeeD here. That's kinda it. I need some inspiration here…_


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 6**

Lugh boredly sighed as he trudged through the barren wasteland that one of the players in this twisted game must have called home. There were no signs of life, or anything moving for that matter. Rubble and huge pieces of bent metal lat scattered across the area as empty tattered tents struggled to stay upright with the wind blowing against them. After being rejected again by Xylene, Lugh had spent his time wandering about this strange world and tried to comprehend it. He had come across railroad tracks in the forest, and out of pure curiosity and boredom, followed it until he reached this desolate place. The king looked at the sign that was about to collapse and tried to read past the layer of dirt.

"Corel…" he uttered, letting the unfamiliar word roll out of his lips. "A strange place you are indeed… Corel. It would seem that you have been sucked dry by the very people you supported," he bitterly said, imagining what terrible fate the town had suffered in order to be reduced to rubble.

He continued on his journey, heading one direction while his surrounding started to change once again. He could freely move from one place to another without the need for walking, but the time he had while walking was something he liked. Lugh absent-mindedly reached into his pocket and pulled out the necklace he had found within Solea's castle. As much as he wanted to reduce it into dust, he couldn't, knowing that it was his bait.

"What are you doing here?" an arrogant voice asked.

Lugh internally groaned at the familiar voice. "It is none of your concern, Mateus," he replied with a bitter note. The king turned around to face the emperor who was emerging from the shadows of a large boulder.

"What anyone does is of my concern, Lugh, especially yours," Mateus informed the blonde. "I thought we had an agreement. You were to wait for your prey in your castle while we-"

"Shut your mouth Mateus. Do you really think that I am not aware of your plans? Do not group me with your pawns," Lugh told the emperor.

"Are you really aware Lugh? Or have you been blinded again by your obsession?" the Emperor laughed haughtily. Lugh gritted his teeth at annoyance and was about to draw his sword when the Emperor shook his head. "Do not think of me as an enemy Lugh, but do not even dare assume that I am a friend. I merely want to help you…"

"So that your plans would come into realization? I'm afraid I do not serve anyone," Lugh informed him.

Mateus raised an eyebrow. "Oh really now? What if I present your beloved princess to you in exchange? Would that change your mind?" he offered.

Lugh kept quiet for a few moments before opening his mouth to answer. "Xylene is no easy prey. She will fight until she breathes no more before surrendering, let alone be taken prisoner," the king said. A sly smile crept into his lips and a mischievous sparkle was evident in his eyes. "But then again, your death might contribute to my amusement… Go. I will… aid you if you deliver to me Xylene."

Mateus frowned at the compromise. "Very well then. Return to your castle, and I assure you, she will be sent to you."

* * *

Xylene sighed. She and Squall had been travelling for almost two days with no sighting of a town of some sort. What little food they had were already consumed last night and they were hoping to stumble upon a town that had something edible.

The Solean princess cast her eyes on Squall who was right in front of her. He had refused to let her lead for some odd reason. He also did not allow her to take first watch when they would rest for the night. Xylene had come to two conclusions. It was either it was his strange way of being a gentleman, or he was belittling her. The noble turned towards the sky and furrowed her eyebrows at the strange sight. "Squall?" she called out. She could hear the gunblader stop walking. "Look," she instructed him as she pointed a finger towards the sky.

Squall followed her instructions and looked up. He widened his eyes at the sight of a strange creature flying around in circles in the sky above them. The two of them heard a screech come from it before watching it dive down towards them. Squall immediately summoned his gunblade while Xylene called for her own sword. The creature landed in the small space between the two brunettes, forcing Squall and Xylene to jump away. The creature, a dragon-like being, cried once again before resting its scaled head on the ground with a thud.

The gunblader narrowed his eyes at the creature and was to rid it of its existence when the creature's eyes suddenly turned to him. Squall couldn't place it, but there was something in its eyes that portrayed pain. Aside from that, Xylene had formed a barrier between the dragon and Squall, preventing the SeeD from even touching it.

"She's hurt…" Xylene whispered, stating the obvious. The noble slowly approached the creature, hands empty and raised. The dragon inched away as she continued to close the distance between them, but Xylene whispered comforting words to it.

"Xylene, I don't think you should-"

"I know what I'm doing Squall," she reassured him. "There girl, it's alright… I'm not gonna hurt you," she then started to say as she reached out for the dragon. The dragon, having nowhere else to go, closed its eyes, awaiting its demise. Xylene frowned at the fear that the creature felt and tried to erase it. She extended a hand and a green glow started to come from it. The dragon felt the magical energy and stiffened. "I'm not gonna hurt you sweetie…" she cooed as she located its injury. An ugly wound ran up the dragon's leg, blood still slowly oozing out of it. It had began to clot, but the wound was very deep, leading Xylene to suspect it had lost of blood.

Xylene laid her glowing hand on top of the wound and flesh immediately started regenerating. The dragon could feel the warmth that the woman gave off and couldn't help but turn to see what she was doing. Xylene smiled as the dragon turned to face her. The creature watched with wide eyes as the wound that had long been hurting her was slowly disappearing. "Now ain't that better?" Xylene cooed when she had finished. She gave the dragon a good pat and took a step away from her work.

The dragon inspected its skin and indeed, it found no trace of the wound. The creature nodded towards the brunette before taking off.

Xylene stood there for a few moments, smiling to herself, before turning around and starting to walk again. "That's it?" Squall asked, clearly not amused. "It just went up and left, literally."

The noble shook her head. "It may look like she was ungrateful, but if you had seen the look in her eyes… You'll just know you did the right thing," she sighed, her smile still on her face. "Say Squall, who else is on Cosmos' side? I've only had the chance to meet you, Cloud, Tidus, Cecil and Firion… Are there anyone else?" Xylene absently asked. It was true that she had yet to meet the other warriors and she wasn't going to take any chances and be easily fooled by Chaos' minions.

Squall closed his eyes in thought. "You haven't met Zidane and Bartz, Terra and the Onion Knight, and the Warrior of Light," he coolly responded. "What's with your sudden interest?"

The brunette shrugged. "Oh nothing… Just popped into my mind really…" Xylene was about to say something more when suddenly a strange feeling over came her. She stopped walking and pulled her eyebrows together in confusion. The forest they had been walking through was quite normal, but there was something different in this particular place. A strange fog had formed around them and the trees no longer allowed even the smallest amount of sunlight to pass through. "What… is this place?" she whispered. She felt cold all over and the hair on the back of her neck started to stand. She was starting to get goose bumps, but she didn't know whether it was from the cold, or the uneasiness she felt.

Xylene heard the click of metal and turned around to see Squall brandishing his weapon. "Stay on your guard," he cautioned her as he took the lead. Xylene nodded and immediately summoned her sword.

The two of them continued to cut their way through the foliage, leaving Xylene particularly concerned. There was something about the forest that creeped her out. It was as if eyes were everywhere and they were all watching them. Squall abruptly stopped, causing the inattentive brunette to bump into him. "Shh… Do you hear that?" the gunblader asked as he strained to hear better.

Xylene furrowed her eyebrows and tried to find out what he was talking about. She closed her eyes and tried to concentrate on the sounds around her. She could hear her and Squall's breathing. She could hear the faint rustling of the leaves from the wind. She could hear a low rumble coming from… Xylene opened her eyes and frowned in confusion. "A train?"

Squall nodded. "It seems like it."

"Let's check it out," Xylene said as she started heading towards where the sound was coming from. Squall was about to protest, but the princess had already disappeared into the fog. Fearing for her safety, the gunblader begrudgingly followed her. It was not long before he managed to find her again for she had stopped at a strange platform.

Squall stopped a few feet behind her, face twisted into an unmistakable frown. "You shouldn't be running around like that," he told her, but the brunette did not respond immediately.

Xylene stared at the train car before her, purple eyes wide with shock. "Squall… Look…" she instructed the gunblader as she shakily pointed towards the car. Squall hurriedly walked up beside her and looked. His own stormy blue eyes widened at the sight. Inside the car were translucent people varying in ethnicity. Some were dressed clothing similar to Squall's while some were more traditional in nature.

The noble gasped at a familiar figure. Without any second thought, Xylene rushed in. Squall cursed under his breath at his companion's brash actions and tried to go after her, but as soon as the princess had gone inside, the doors had tightly shut. Squall struggled to open the doors with force but the whistle of the train told him that it was about to depart. "Xylene!" he called as he banged on the car. The train started to leave, starting with a slow crawl. It steadily gained speed while Squall tried to keep up with it. The gunblader called after the brunette one for time before the train completely left him.

Xylene could feel her heart beating quickly in her chest. She knew she saw him. It was no dream. It was really him. "Damien? Damien, where are you?" she desperately called, her eyes darting from side to side as she paused to scan the car's occupants. From the corner of her eye, she saw the end of his clothes just disappearing into another car. Xylene proceeded with pursing what she thought was her beloved and found herself in a cart with several rooms. Breathing heavily, Xylene opened one by one the doors. All were empty and she was beginning to lose hope when she opened the last door. Her eyes went wide when she saw a woman sitting inside in all her glorious splendor. "Lady Cosmos!" Xylene gasped.

The Goddess of Harmony nodded in acknowledgement. "Please sit child…" the Goddess said as she offered the seat opposite to her. "What brings you here Xylene?"

The brunette struggled to compose herself, but after running through several carts, it proved to be an impossible task. Nevertheless, Xylene took a seat and stared at the Goddess. "I… I thought I saw someone. I must have been mistaken…" she sighed as she lowered her head in shame. A though suddenly entered her mind, causing the brunette to sit upright once again. "Squall! Where is he?"

Cosmos shook her head. "The train had left him…"

"The train… Where is this train heading?" Xylene asked.

Cosmos turned her gaze towards the scenery that was quickly passing by out the window. "This train leads the souls of the dead to their final resting place, whether it be heaven or hell," she replied. "For you, though, you will be left at borders of Solea."

Xylene raised an eyebrow. "Solea? The kingdom survived in this world?" she asked.

The Goddess of Harmony nodded. "Tell me, Xylene, what made you go back?"

"I beg your pardon?"

"Do you not remember what happened in Aldresh? I had met you there, had I not?" the Goddess explained. Xylene raised her eyebrows as she started to recall that night.

Xylene had just finished put her two year old daughter to bed and had decided to get some fresh air. The night was unusually cold and she had felt a great deal of concern over nothing the past few days. Xylene was blinded by bright light all of a sudden as she sat down on one of the chairs that were situated in their garden. It was the Goddess of Harmony herself, Cosmos. That night, Cosmos had warned Xylene of the crystal's impending doom. The Goddess had relayed to her what Lugh had planned to do with it. Despite how things had went. Cosmos did not ask for her to save Hythenia. She was told that since she had begun a happy life in Aldresh, she could keep it. After all, Lugh would destroy himself if he succeeded in his plans. There was no point in endangering her own life.

Cosmos' beautiful face had only but one flaw at the moment, a frown. "I had not asked you to save Hythenia, yet you did, and in the process, lost the man you loved the most…" Xylene bit her lip as she remembered those painful moments. Waking up to find he wasn't there and never will be. Going back to what used to be. Enduring her children's questions about their father. "Why did you go back to Hythenia, knowing how high the stakes were?"

Xylene took a few minutes before replying. "I… I suppose…" She had never really thought of her reason for going back. She had just felt compelled to go. The moment Cosmos had left that night, she had rushed back into the house and woke up Damien, telling him that they had to go back. "Because it was my duty, and it still is…" she whispered. "Solea is my kingdom and I intend to keep it safe, to protect it. I suppose despite hating the blood that ran through my veins that prevented me from living the life that I wanted, I still love my homeland… All the people there that I had met, I could not just let them perish…"

"You did it because could not bear the feeling of knowing you could have done something more, am I correct?" Xylene quietly nodded. Cosmos had hit the bull's eye. Xylene had beating around the bush, ashamed of saying her real reason. "You can do something more in this war my child. Defeating your enemy and obtaining the crystal is not all that you can achieve here…" Xylene watched as the Goddess slowly stood up as her figure started to fade. "Maybe even peace of heart…"

With that, Cosmos completely vanished, leaving Xylene to her thoughts. The brunette stared out the window, watching the darkness swiftly pass by. "Peace of heart?" Xylened almost flew out of her seat as the train halted to a stop. Hesitantly, Xylene stood up and got off of the train. Outside, she found herself staring at the large arc that stood at the entrance of the town. She noticed a few manikins, but she did not need to worry about them. Xylene took a deep breath before stepping onto the cobblestone street.

Inside the castle, Lugh smirked. Whether or not it was the Emperor's doing that Xylene had finally found her way to Solea didn't matter to him anymore. The young queen was within his grasp and there was nothing more for him to ask.

* * *

_Long time no see~!_


End file.
